Vikings of Berk: The Kraken Lords
by FictionalDrifter
Summary: A new addition to my "Vikings of Berk" storyline; detailing events following the HTTYD 2 movie. News of Drago's defeat has returned south, along with the survivors of his defeated army; but a new enemy, now seeing 'the northerners' as a threat, moves to strike. {I don't own HTTYD, or any of the 'original' characters, though I will introduce a few new ones.} Enjoy!
1. Prologue

**The Kraken Lords**

 _ **Prologue**_ (3 months after the events of "Vikings of Berk: The Alpha Dragons".)

 _Evening, in the Great Hall of The Kraken Lords_ ,

The Hall was loud, and full of activity; not that you could hear much of what was being done, or said. The high- table was the most 'controlled' part of the cavernous room; each man seated there bore the title Kraken Lord. There were thirteen, in total; six seated to each side of the High Kraken.

The rest of the hall was 'chaotic' at best: Long benches of men, all of them taking turns tormenting the serving women – who ranged in age from their mid-teens to mid-twenties. None of them dared to fight back too vigorously, and the only rule was that no harm – beyond the occasional scrape or bruise, could be inflicted on them.

The 'serving women' were prisoners; hostages; held on the most heavily- fortified of the Iron Islands to ensure their fathers' "good behavior", after each of their tribes had been first conquered, and than subjugated by the Krakens' Armada.

With every conquest, their numbers would grow – at least: the numbers they controlled would grow. None of the 'new recruits' were anywhere close to being 'willing' recruits.  
"The Kraken can never have too many arms," the conquering Kraken Lord would always say, after a fresh victory, "Serve us, and they live."  
'They' always meant the hostages The Kraken Lords took; wives, daughters… anyone too young, or too old, to fight for The Kraken Lords.

Even the notorious Drago Bludvist hadn't been able to overthrow The Kraken Lords. He'd tried, of course; but once he learned that the Kraken Lords _elected_ their leader from among themselves whenever the old one died, and would abandon the current leader the moment he showed weakness; by subjugating himself to a foreign 'overlord', for instance; he would quickly be abandoned by his former- subjects.

Finally, Drago and the Kraken Lords had come to a 'deal', of sorts: The Kraken Lords would _support_ Drago's conquests; providing ships, and 'loyal men', to help him keep his other 'followers' in line.  
Drago, meanwhile, would be declared an ' _honorary_ ' Kraken- Lord: He could command the men _they 'gave' him_ , but no more; he could sit- in on The Council, but he couldn't vote on the matters discussed unless they related directly to him.  
Drago hadn't been _'overly pleased'_ with their initial agreement; but it had been forged during the ' _early days_ ' of his ' _career_ ', and he had little bargaining power – at the time.

Drago had accepted on the sole condition that he could "renegotiate their agreement" as his position grew stronger, and – if his strength became sufficient, one day become a full- member of The Kraken's Council.

That night's feast began as it always had. About an hour in, however, something unusual happened: Two men hurried into the hall, talking in low voices, than falling silent, as they reached the benches furthest from the head of the hall.

That, by itself, was unusual: If they brought news of another victory, they would have shouted for silence, and bellowed their news for all to hear. It was not uncommon for such a thing to happen, and three of the seats at the High- Table _were_ empty.

By the time the two new- arrivals reached the head of the hall, most of the noise in the hall had diminished, leaving the hall unnaturally quiet. The two men bowed in unison, then the one on the left, the elder of the two, said, "My Lords; we bring word of Drago."

One of the Lords, the one to the High- Lord's right, snorted. "Humph; Wants to ' _renegotiate_ ' our agreement again, does he?"

The Lord two seats down rolled his eyes, "If it'll stop his going on about ' _the Archipelagos this, and the Archipelagos that_ ' let him! How long till he gets here?"

The two men exchanged a nervous look, than the man on the right said, "My… My Lords; Drago… Drago did not return."  
The Lord who'd asked the question froze, a chicken leg halfway to his mouth; The Lord who'd spoken first, and was about to stab another piece of meat on his dagger, looked up so fast his blade veered off course, and embedded itself in the table… The silence in the hall became absolute.

The High- Lord's expression was unreadable, "What is the source of this information; and what, exactly, did they say happened?"

The man on the left spoke first, "Thirty of Drago's ships returned south; claiming to be all that remains of the fleet Drago took north… They say they found the nest of the Northern- Alpha; Drago's beast killed it, and seized control of the Northern Dragons."

While the first man paused to draw breath, the second man continued, "They say that they encountered a group of dragon- riders… That there's an entire island of them in the north; humans and dragons living together!"

"When Drago found out, he ordered his fleet to set course for Berk – the island these… these… _dragon- riders_ came from." The first man said, when the other paused. "Drago ordered the fleet to rendezvous with him there; but, when they tried to approach the island, they were besieged by a battalion of Night- Furies!"

"It was a total rout; they were no match!" The second man said, in a rush. "Then there's the boy…"

The High- Lord frowned, "Boy? What boy?"

The two men began speaking at the same moment, stopped to let the other speak, than resumed again – both at the same time.

"Stop!" The High- Lord pointed at the man on the left, the older of the two. "You speak; what boy?"

Both men bowed, and the man the High- Lord had indicated said, "The son of Berks' Chief; Drago's men said his name's Hiccup…"  
A gale of laughter filled the hall at this piece of news, but one look from the High- Lord quickly stifled it. He gestured to the man before him to continue.

The man bowed again; and resumed his account, "One of the other riders called him 'Dragon- Master'; Drago's men say they saw Drago's monster- dragon _fleeing_ from Berk… And the boy, Hiccup; W-Witnesses say he … _he rides a Night- Fury_!"

For the next ten minutes, the High- Lord asked pointed questions until the men said that they had relayed all that they knew. Once they had, the High- Lord dismissed them, and the two messengers hurried away.  
Then the assembled Kraken- Lords conferred amongst themselves for close to five minutes, while the hall filled with low mutters.

When the High- Lord rose to his feet, however, the hall again fell silent. "These… dragon- riders are a threat, and they must be dealt with: We move North in-force! These northerners would not expect another attack from the south so soon after Drago's – and our… 'Method' has always served us well; it shall again!"

Everyone in the hall immediately leapt to their feet; rushing to fulfill the High- Lord's orders. Off to one side, several of the serving- girls were talking amongst themselves. Their expressions were a combination of awe, uncertainty, and sympathy; they knew, all too well, about the Kraken Lords' "method".

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

 **Part One – First Day as Chief** ( _The day_ after "Vikings of Berk: Alpha Dragons")

 _Hiccup_ ;

When Hiccup first opened his eyes, he half- hoped that the previous day had just been a nightmare: Drago's attack, his father's death, the Alpha's death… The rest he could live with: Working on his map; his conversation with Astrid; finding his mother.  
Those hopes vanished the moment he glanced at his desk, and saw the to- do list he'd written up the previous evening. It was real… It was all real; the good, and the bad: He was the Chief of Berk, now; and he had a village to run.

He leapt out of bed, and into Toothless's saddle; at the very least they could fit in a few laps of the island before they started their day. They 'chanced upon' Astrid and Stormfly, a third of the way through their first lap, and Hiccup had to smile as Stormfly rose to join them.

They flew in silence for a few minutes; than Astrid asked, "How're you doing?"

"As well as can be expected," Hiccup sighed. "A lot happened, yesterday; and…" He smiled, a little ruefully.

"What?" Astrid asked.

"Something my mom said, yesterday; that I've 'got the heart of a Chief, and the soul of a dragon'." Hiccup sighed. "A Chief spends a lot of their time in one place; while a dragon wants to fly free… A lot happened yesterday, and now I'm trying to adjust to the changes." He managed another smile, "I'll figure it out, though… _We'll_ figure it out."

A few minutes later, Astrid smile turned a little shy, and her face turned a little pink, "Do you remember the evening after that Outcast Attack on the Dragon Arena, the day before you partnered the rest of us with our dragons?"  
Hiccup nodded, and Astrid continued, "Just after you said you were thinking of making the six of us the first dragon- riders; I had this… daydream, of the two of us on dragons, flying in a clear sky…" Her face reddened, and she looked away.

She could almost 'hear' Hiccup grin, though. "Guess it came true, huh?"

"Yeah, it did." Astrid agreed. "You have any dreams like that you'd like to share?"

Hiccup chuckled, "Past 'few years', most of them are reruns of the days; just with a few of the battle- scenes removed." He winked at her, "Kind 'a hard to improve on them, to be honest; even in a dream!"  
Astrid's blush deepened, and they settled into a comfortable silence.

 _An hour later;_

By the time they got back to the village, the sun was fully up, and people were beginning to go about their daily business.

The first thing on Hiccup's list, today, was working in the forge; continuing the work that had had to be set aside, when Hiccup and Astrid brought word of Drago's arrival.  
Between the common belief that the first day of a new Chief's reign was the dawn of a new era, and Hiccup's own reputation, well… People were already lining up, eager to have some piece of furniture that would sit in their home, as a reminder of a day that would go down in history.

Once they landed, Hiccup and Astrid made their way toward the forges. Hiccup paused, just before rounding the last corner; he was sure he'd heard…  
He heard them again; raised voices: "I was here first" … "No, I was; I was here a full five minutes when you walked out your– " … "You were not!"

Hiccup sighed, and Astrid put a hand on his shoulder, "You'll do great, Hiccup… You always have!" A thought occurred to her, and she smiled, "Hiccup; would I be right to say you're looking at being 'Chief' as a _job-job_ , now?"

Hiccup frowned, slightly, "It _is_ a job…"

"It is," Astrid agreed. "But it won't be hard work; not for you! Like I said yesterday, you've been making plans and solving problems for years… I think you're expecting bigger, harder problems; but I doubt there'll be many like that, if any! These things come to you so easily, you think you should be working harder than you need to!" Her eyes met Hiccup's, "You'll see: when you go through your list, just… be _yourself_! That's…" she hesitated, and, in a softer voice, said, "That's who your father _wanted_ to leave in- charge."

Hiccup considered her for a moment, while he processed her words, then he smiled, "I knew you were 'good', Astrid; but these past few days… you've outdone yourself!" He gave her a moment to process that, than added, "Shall we?"  
A smile and nod was all Astrid could manage, than the two of them rounded the corner.

The clamor had been attracting more attention by the minute. By the time Hiccup and Astrid arrived, most of the village had gathered; Most of them stood in a line; craning their necks to get a view over the shoulders of those in front of them.

The crowd parted to let Hiccup, Astrid, and their dragons through, without pause; though there were twice as many people craning for a view once they had, and the volume dropped to near- silence. Whoever was first in line became a minor concern: They were about to see Hiccup in-action, diffusing his first internal- confrontation.

At the head of the line, Spitelout stood facing Rolph. Off to one side, Hiccup saw his mother, Gobber, Gustav, Eret – the one-time dragon- trapper, and several others. Hiccup exchanged nods of greeting with each of them in turn, and then turned to face the two men.  
When they caught sight of Hiccup, Spitelout and Rolph turned to face him. Each pointed at the other, and, in perfect unison, said, "I was here first, but he's trying to skip–" They rounded on one another, "I was here first; you're the one trying to…"

Hiccup held up a hand, "Ok; call me a pessimist, but I _think_ we're going to need an _unbiased_ party here." Both Astrid and Valka smiled, but hid it quickly; and a ripple of amusement moved through the crowd, as Hiccup turned to them. "Who's next after these two?"

"That would be me," Fishlegs's mother stepped forward. "But they were both here when I arrived, so…" She shrugged, apologetically.

Hiccup nodded, "Ok; in that case…" He thought for a moment; then turned back to the two men. Gesturing to the assembled crowd, he said, "Take a look around; what do you see?"

The two men looked around, saw most of the village before them, and blinked; apparently unaware that such a large crowd had gathered. Spitelout shifted, "People."

"Who are…?" Hiccup prompted, nodding.

"Waiting in line," Rolph admitted.

"While the two of you…" Hiccup continued.

"Argue 'bout who's first, but…" Spitelout began.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "Doesn't seem quite fair, does it?" Both men shook their heads, awkwardly; Hiccup continued, "So, the way I see it, there are two options: One; you can both come up, and tell me what you need; both projects can be built in stages, and you can both receive them at the same time… or Two: both of you can move to the back of the line; the rest of us can be productive with our time; and the two of you will have _plenty_ of time to decide which of you were here first." He waited for a moment, "Your pick."

Five seconds passed in silence, Spitelout and Rolph exchanged a look. Once again, the two men spoke in unison: "First choice."

Hiccup nodded; the corner of his lip twitched, "Interesting timing on the replies, today; are you sure the two of you haven't been rehearsing for this?"  
There was another ripple of amusement at this, which the two men joined in; what tension remained quickly drained away, and the two men came forward.  
As Hiccup turned back toward the forges, Valka smiled and gave him the shallowest of nods; Astrid smiled and winked. Gobber waited until he was between Hiccup and the crowd, and gave him the 'thumbs up'.

 _That afternoon_ ,

After lunch, Astrid and the rest of Berks' "original" dragon- riders, and their dragons, went to the Dragon Arena; accompanied by their students. Hiccup had officially named Astrid Head Dragon- Trainer, in his absence; and she'd made Fishlegs the 'number- two'. (Needless to say: Snotlout was not pleased.)  
Hiccup, meanwhile, was helping to organize and complete the last of the repairs to the more seriously damaged structures in the village.

About two hours later, a muffled explosion emanated from the Dragon- Training Arena. When Hiccup, and a number of other villagers, arrived, a few minutes later; Astrid had things 'more- or- less' under control… Save for the five or six versions of what, exactly, had happened. (Three of those versions seemed to have passed through Snotlout at some point; because each made him sound more heroic, and worthy of being in-charge, than the last.)

While the villagers who accompanied Hiccup and Toothless checked around for injuries; a few scrapes and bruises, but nothing major; Hiccup made his way across the arena, to join Astrid and Stormfly. Once things had settled down; Hiccup asked, "Astrid, can you tell me what happened, here?"

Before Astrid could speak, Snotlout pushed his way forward. "Ok; here's how it went down…"

Astrid made to speak; Hiccup held up a finger, and winked at her. "Snotlout; before you start, a quick question: Did you … _change your name_ , to 'Astrid', and not tell anyone?"  
Everyone in the arena, humans and dragons, burst out laughing; both at what Hiccup had said, and the expression on Snotlout's face.

"What … I … No!" Snotlout stammered.

Hiccup wiped his brow, in mock- relief. "Phew; that's a relief… I don't even want to _think_ about how awkward that would've made _my life_ , on a day- to- day basis." – The volume of laughter increased, noticeably.  
Once everyone had calmed down, save for the occasional wave of chuckling, Hiccup picked up where he'd left off. "Now, _Astrid_ …" He waited for the fresh wave of mirth to die down. "Could _you_ tell me what happened?"

It took a few minutes, but the source of the confusion was quickly traced to a pair of over- eager Zipplebacks who'd breathed a cloud of gas into another part of the arena, where a group of Monstrous- Nightmares were shooting fire-blasts at targets.

By the end of the day, two things were absolutely clear… First: Hiccup had passed his 'first- day' challenges; no surprise there – he'd long- since earned the respect of the villagers. Second: Nobody was ever going to forget Hiccup's first full day as Chief.

 **Part Two – First- Strike** { _3 months later_ }

 _Shivering Shores; Midmorning_ ,

The size and strength of the Shivering Shores' fleet was one of the most renowned in the Archipelagos, second only to the Berserkers' in reputation. And that only because the Shivering Shores Tribe did not share the Berserkers' _virtually_ \- insatiable appetite for battle. But the Berserkers' Tribe had fallen, and no enemy had risen to take their place.

' _That,_ ' the Chief of the Shivering Shores thought to himself, ' _is half of the problem, right there; we've grown careless._ ' He glanced across the table at his eldest son, "Tell me, again, exactly what happened."

His son, who sat, glumly, in the chair across the table from his father, sighed; and began again, "We thought we were chasing a band of common pirates…" It was only a few hours before noon, but the twenty- three-year-old Viking boy looked as though he hadn't slept; most likely he hadn't.

 _Flashback to the previous evening;_

 _It had been raining, but that was no deterrent for a Viking warrior. They'd been out on patrol when they'd sighted the unidentified vessels. Well… 'Unidentified' wasn't quite right: they could see the emblem on the mainsails, but it wasn't one they recognized as belonging to a Viking tribe; it was some kind of bird. There was another banner, too; one that bore the image of a legendary sea- monster: a Kraken.  
There had been twelve enemy ships, against there thirty; so they had given chase… Their foe had crossed into their waters; they had every right to defend their territory.  
Then they had rounded the point, and realized that they'd been lead into an ambush; the number of ships arrayed before them was beyond counting…  
Then the enemy catapults went to work. The captains of the other boats had insisted that he, their Chief's son and heir, along with two other boats, fall- back to safety, while the rest covered their retreat.  
The final tally: Eighteen ships badly damaged, though they managed to limp back to shore; Eight ships returned reasonably intact, though not undamaged; Six ships lost with all hands. No enemies had made landfall; but they might never have meant to, so that didn't mean much._

The Chief sighed, "You're sure of the size of this fleet, and that it came from the south?"

His son nodded, "For that many ships to gather from any other direction, even if they circled around… We'd have heard something."

The Chief sighed, "Than I don't see that we have much choice: We're under attack; that much is clear… We have to call a Council of Chiefs."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 **Part One – Plans and Preparations**

 _Three days later, on Berk_ ;

The village was bustling; had been all week, actually. The reason for the activity: the final details of Hiccup and Astrid's marriage pact had been settled. Only one thing remained: to build a home for the new couple to move into, following the 'official' ceremony.

Hiccup took care of the planning and designing, of course, and the entire village pitched in when the time came to start building. It would be a structure unlike any other in the village; standing two stories tall, with wide windows on the top floor that opened to the sky. The main floor was kitchen and living area, the upper floor held a small library/study for Hiccup, and sleeping areas. (As you might imagine, with that number of people, and dragons, helping, the structure took only a few days to build.)

Once that was done, the focus turned to making the other arrangements: preparations for the wedding feast, entertainment, and so on. Every evening, the conversation that filled the Great Hall was more boisterous than the one before.  
Then, one night, something unexpected happened: An hour into supper, a man rushed into the hall, clutching a scroll in one hand. Conversation gradually faded to silence as the new arrival hurried to where Hiccup and Astrid were seated, at the head of the hall. As he handed Hiccup the scroll, the man rasped, "This … just … arrived … from … Shivering … Shores; Said it was … urgent."

Hiccup broke the seal, unrolled the parchment, and read the message in silence. As he read, his eyes narrowed, and his expression became serious. Finally, he lowered the paper, though he remained silent.

Astrid knew from his expression that the news was bad, "Hiccup… What is it?"

Hiccup was silent for a moment more, than he said, "According to this, a Shivering Shores' patrol- fleet was lured into an ambush and attacked, the night before last; during an evening run … Thirty ships left, twenty- four returned; eighteen of those badly damaged." He glanced at the scroll, "The enemy ships 'numbered beyond counting', 'came from the south', and 'bore two banners'; the 'devices on sails varied', but 'all leading banners depicting a Kraken'…" He sighed, than added, "The Chief of the Shivering Shores has named this an Act of Aggression against all tribes, and calls for a Council of Chiefs; twelve days from now."

Valka, who was seated to the left of her son, let out a soft gasp; "There hasn't been a Council of Chiefs since… since…"

"Since Drago came north the first time," Hiccup finished. He frowned, and snatched up the scroll again. A moment later, his eyes widened, "Odin's Ghost!"  
An instant later, he was on his feet; calling to Swiftwing, one of the Terrible Terrors he'd trained to carry air- mail messages. The moment the Terrible Terror landed on his shoulder, Hiccup began to speak in a low voice.  
The moment Hiccup finished giving him his message; Swiftwing nodded once, and launched himself into the air. Seconds later, the Terrible Terror had shot between the doors to the hall, and vanished from view.

By now, Astrid was also on her feet, "Hiccup; what's happening?"

Hiccup took a deep breath, "Sorry about that … I was thinking about the 'two- banners' thing, than thought back to Drago, and… something clicked."

Snotlout, who was sitting a short distance away, frowned, "What do banners have to do with anything?"

Hiccup held up the scroll, "It's all here: The devices on the enemy's sails were different because they belong to _different tribes_! Whoever the Kraken- banners belong to has been conquering other tribes; absorbing their resources and warriors into their own ranks … If I had to guess: I'd say they take hostages after every conquest, and use them as leverage to keep their 'new recruits' in line. And, if their fleet is as large as reported, they've been doing it for a long, long time."

The silence that followed stretched for several minutes; until Valka said, "And the message you sent; what was it?"

Hiccup shifted, slightly. "I've asked The Colony to send patrols to the other tribes' villages; to keep watch for any … 'suspicious activity', but to remain out of sight, and undetected."

As was so often the case, Astrid was first to grasp his meaning. "You think they're planning to do the same thing here!"

Hiccup nodded, "The attack on the Shivering Shores could have been a distraction to cover two or three other ships, moving north from another direction… If that is the case, though, these ships wouldn't risk moving by day, and chance being sighted, so the Night- Furies should still reach their destinations first."

Fishlegs stepped forward, hesitantly. "Uh… Hiccup; if the Night- Furies find an abduction-in-progress, and try to interfere, wouldn't that put people who're being abducted at risk?"

Toothless snorted. **'My kin will be** _ **observing**_ **, not interfering, in the events they witness … If they witness an abduction, one will return here; with news of where and when it happened, and who was taken; the others will follow them. Once they have arrived at their destination, another will report back; so we'll know where they are.'**

"And once we know that…" Hiccup's usual smile was back, as was the gleam in his eyes.

Astrid shook her head; also smiling, "You've already got your 'contingency plan' figured out, don't you?"

"Of course," Hiccup said, as he and Astrid returned to their seats. "In the meantime, I see no reason for our (ahem) _plans_ to change." He winked at Astrid, she blushed, and the tension in the room drained away.  
Five minutes later, you never would have believed that news of a potential war on the horizon had just been reported: Hiccup, they knew, had things under control.

 **Part Two – Unexpected Visitors**

 _The following morning_ ;

A few hours before noon, just as Hiccup was cluing up his time at the forges, he heard someone shouting his name. A moment later, Meatlug came in for a landing, and Fishlegs slid off the Gronkle's back. "Boats … coming!" Fishlegs wheezed. "Kraken banner!"

 _A few minutes later_ ;

A crowd of villagers had gathered to watch, as the two boats slowly drew nearer to the island; coming to a full stop, about two miles off- shore.  
From there, those gathered on the cliff top had a clear view of the deck, and of a man who appeared to be tying a scroll onto a birds' leg. A moment later, the man released the bird, gesturing towards Berk, as he did.

The bird rose into the air, and shot towards the island. As it came within hearing distance, it squawked, and said " _Note for the Chief; Note for the Chief!_ ( _Squawk_ )."  
It landed on a low branch, in a near-by tree, and stuck out the leg with the scroll tied to it.

Hiccup, clad as he was in his dragon- scale armor, moved forward, untied the scroll, and read it. A moment later, he said, "They want to talk; 'a group of three', and they've agreed to come unarmed." He was silent for a moment, and then said, "This should be… 'Informative'."

 _Twenty minutes later_ ;

About twenty minutes later, a rowboat pulled up to the beach. The two muscular men who'd been rowing jumped into the water, to pull the boat the last few feet to shore. The two men were clearly guards, though, as promised, their scabbards were empty. The third man was clad in robes, covered with intricate embroidery. Over his heart, the Kraken insignia was stitched in golden thread.

"I am Emric, of The Thirteen Kraken Lords," the man said, in a thickly accented voice. He considered the crowd assembled on the beach; several dozen men – all armed, Astrid, Valka, and, of course, Hiccup. "Here to speak with your Chief."

"That would be me," Hiccup said, taking a step forward, as he spoke. Emric's gaze fixed on him, and Hiccup could have sworn the man's face went a little pale. "You… you are Hiccup?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "How is it that you know my name, if you don't mind my asking?"

Emric's guards shifted, as though uneasy, but Emric appeared not to notice. "We know you only by reputation," he admitted. "As I said: I am here on behalf of The Thirteen Kraken Lords; the joint- rulers of the greatest empire of the south! We heard your name from the survivors who followed a 'former applicant'; Drago–"  
Emric's voice drifted to silence, and there was little question as to why.

For the first time that anyone could recall, Hiccup looked truly angry; his expression was cold, and his eyes burned. In a deceptively calm tone, Hiccup said, "'Drago Bludvist'; the man responsible for my father's death…"  
As Hiccup spoke, a growl sounded from behind the assembled Vikings. The crowd parted, and Toothless, the Night- Fury, came forward. When he reached Hiccup, the latter placed a hand on the dragon's shoulder.  
Turning back to Emric and his men, all of whom were wide- eyed and white faced; Hiccup said, "As you can see, my friend, here, is about as ' _fond_ ' of the name ' _Drago_ ' as I am… We have nothing more to say to one another, so I suggest you leave."

Without another word, The Kraken Lord, Emric, scurried back onto his boat. The guards rushed to push the boat off shore, than scrambled back into it. The trip back to the boat was 'noticeably faster' than their journey towards Berk.

Once the boats had raised their sails, and began turning back the way they'd come, Hiccup took several deep breaths, allowing his anger to drain away. "Well… We certainly made an impression."  
That startled a chuckle out of several of the Vikings, and the crowd began to break up; as everyone went back to their various tasks: there was a wedding to prepare for, and only a few hours left to get ready!

 _That evening; Astrid_ ,

Astrid couldn't believe how quickly the afternoon had passed… How quickly _the ceremony_ had passed! To her, it was all a blur of motion and words: hers, Hiccup's, and several others. Now she was _married_! … She gazed around the inside of their new home. Despite the time, she felt surprisingly energized. She smiled to herself.

 **Part Three – Gathering of Chiefs**

 _Four days later, Berk_ ;

For days later, Hiccup received the news he'd half- expected. A Night- Fury scout arrived at the Great Hall, just as the Vikings were gathering for supper: the wife, teenage daughter, and young son of (a northern- chief) had been taken in the early- hours of that morning, before the rest of their tribe cleared the sleep from their eyes.  
The rest of the Night- Fury patrol was following them to their destination, as planned.

 _The following day_ ,

The following morning, a second Night- Fury returned to Berk, with news of their targets' final destination.

Hiccup smiled, thanked the Night- Fury; turning to Astrid, he asked "Do you mind if I borrow Sneaky for a few days?" – Sneaky being the Terrible- Terror Astrid had trained, several years earlier, in the dragon- training competition Hiccup had judged.

Astrid looked surprised, but nodded. Sneaky swooped down, settling on the table between them. Hiccup produced a scroll, slid it to a carrying tube; and handed it to the Terrible- Terror, who gripped it in her claws.  
Hiccup smiled at Astrid; and turned back to Sneaky, "I just need you to deliver this; they'll fill you in on the other details once you're on your way." He turned to the two Night- Furies, "You know what to do."

The two black dragons smiled, and the three dragons rose into the sky.

 _Seven days later_ ,

The hall where the previous Council of Chiefs had convened had, of course, been burned to the ground years ago. Instead, the Chiefs of The Archipelagos met in the Great Hall of Berk. True: It had been the Chief of The Shivering Shores who had 'called' the Council, but several of the other Chiefs had expressed concerns about travelling to a region where such a formidable enemy had so recently been encountered.  
In an effort to prevent events from getting out of hand, Hiccup had offered to host the gathering on Berk, under the protection of the Berk Dragons, and human warriors both. This offer had been unanimously accepted, as many of the Chiefs were 'cautiously curious' about Berks' work with dragons, and no-one could deny that a force of dragons would make for formidable defenders, should ' _The Enemy_ ' choose to attack.

As was often the case, there was a 'certain amount' of arguing: Any tribes already engaged in a dispute would insist on presenting their case to the group; both sides hoping to win support from the others at the table.  
An 'alliance', of sorts, quickly formed, and forced the conversation to the _real_ topic they'd assembled to discuss; the 'alliance' consisting of Hiccup, and the Chiefs of The Shivering Shores, and The Stony Shores.

The Chiefs had gathered; The Council was ready to convene.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 **Part One – Abduction**

 _Eight days earlier, evening_ ,

Leanne sat in a corner of the crude 'hut' their captors had first built, and than shoved them into. Thom, her two- year- old son, sat in her lap, while she did her best to reassure him that they would be ok; it wasn't easy, since she could barely convince herself of that.  
Slumped against the wall facing them sat her fifteen- year- old daughter, Lara; she was shaking, slightly, and had barely spoken since the three of them had been dragged out of their beds, their home, and their village, in the early- hours of that morning.

 _Flashback_ _: It had been a morning like any other; up until the moment their front door had been kicked in. The crash had woken both her, and her husband; then came the shouting and footsteps... Then they heard their daughter cry out in surprise.  
The next thing Leanne knew, she had Thom in her arms, and they and Lara were being herded out of the house, and across the village, towards the ocean. When she glanced back, she saw two men holding Thommen, her husband, and the Chief of their tribe, back; while a third man, clad in elaborately embroidered robes, spoke to him…_  
Ever since they had been bundled onto first one of two small rowboats, than hustled onto the boat that waited just offshore, Leanne had been praying for a miracle; but, so far, nothing had come of it.

A flicker of motion, and a startled gasp from Lara, shook Leanne out of her thoughts. She looked towards her daughter, and her eyes widened: a Terrible Terror had swooped in through a gap in the roof, and landed a few feet to Lara's left! A second later, the small dragon had tossed a _scroll case_ at the girls' feet, them moved a little to one side.

Lara picked it up, hesitantly, than her jaw dropped. She glanced, uneasily, at the dragon who had brought the case, then hurried to her mother's side; holding out the case for her to see. Leanne's reaction was much the same as her daughter's: the side of the scroll case bore the likeness of a black dragon, curled up inside of a red circle…  
It was the personal crest of the new Chief of Berk, known to many as the 'Dragon Master'.

Leanne held up a hand for silence, and, for almost a full minute, they listen for any sign of voices or movement outside of the hut. Then she nodded to Lara, gesturing for her to keep her voice down as she read.

Lara unsealed the case, and unrolled the scroll. Then, her voice little more than a whisper, she read, "'One hour after delivery is confirmed, expect loud noise to the west; distraction. When clear, leave structure; move to eastern forests. Two visible paths: Mother and son take rightmost, most direct route. Daughter, take left: Terror will return to guide; make sure you are seen, at safe distance. Necessary, I'll explain later; Extraction team standing by. – Hiccup. PS: To confirm, tell the dragon who brought this; she'll understand you. Also return scroll to case, and case to her; Leave nothing behind'."

For almost a minute, there was silence. Then Lara frowned, "How could the dragon 'understand', though?"

Another voice, soft, and feminine answered, projecting into their minds. **'Because they gave us knowledge, Hiccup and Toothless: The Peacemakers.'** A brief pause, **'You must decide quickly; time is short, and there is more at stake than you know.'**

Leanne and Lara exchanged a look, and a nod; both knew that this was their best chance. While Leanne spoke to Thom, telling him how important it was to be quiet; Lara returned the scroll to the case, and handed the case back to the Terrible Terror. The moment she had, the Terror shot through the whole it had come through, and vanished into the night.

 **Part Two – Rescue**

 _One hour later_ ;

An hour later, there was a sudden 'BOOM' from the westernmost side of their captors' camp. Shouts filled the air, accompanied by the sounds of footsteps, as the guards rushed to determine the source of the commotion.

Once 'their side' of the camp had quieted, Lara and Leanne, the latter carrying Thom, bolted out the door of their hut, and charged towards the forests to the east of the campsite. As promised, they saw the start of the two paths; extending into the forests and, a moment later, the Terrible Terror who'd brought the scroll rejoined them.  
Before she could speak again, they heard a shout from behind them: "THE HOSTAGES ARE ESCAPING! THERE; INTO THE TREES!" This set off a chorus of other shouts, and the sounds of men approaching grew louder.  
Lara and Leanne exchanged one last look, and bolted down their separate paths.

As Lara ran, the Terrible Terror flew above her, telling her which way to turn whenever the paths split. After only a few minutes, she understood the plan: Their captors would _expect_ them to stay together, and seeing _her_ would convince them that they were on the right track. Moreover: the path, or paths, split off, and crisscrossed so often, it would be impossible to tell which one she was on from 'a safe distance' away… And the trails lead in so many different directions; the resulting search area grew exponentially larger, the longer they were free!

Twenty minutes later, the Terrible Terror said **'This way … careful; it's steep!'** The dragon led Lara off the trail, down a short, slope, and into a small hollow. When she looked up, Lara saw her mother, little brother, and four pitch- black dragons.  
A moment later, the black dragons closed their eyes again, each turning in a different direction, their ears twitching to zero in on any sound.

A few minutes later; they a shout, "SHE CAME THIS WAY, I'M SURE OF IT!"

Another man snorted, "You were ' _sure_ ' about the _last three paths_ , too… Two lead us to back to camp, the long way; and the third was overgrown by wild thorn bushes! Bah… I say we go back and search the other path… Girl must've known the area: lead us down here as a decoy, and doubled back to rejoin her mother and the brat… Pity; girl was a pretty one, eh?"

"You dimwitted dolt," a gruff, heavily accented voice said. "Don't forget: If you had stayed at your post, this never would've happened!"

"Lord… Lord Blackthorn! I… I only meant…" the man stammered.

'Lord Blackthorn' grunted, "Don't waste my time with excuses; just be grateful I thought to send my other boat to hold the base of this peninsula, on our way down! We have the only food, the only boats, both of which will be under guard night and day… They have no way to escape: We'll find them eventually, and when we do, bring them to me."  
There was a chorus of ' _sir, yes sir_ 's; then Lord Blackthorn continued, "I will be waiting at the camp. You, you, and you; come with me: Search the hut where we put them, see if they left anything behind."

 _Ten minutes later_ ,

Ten minutes after the voices and footsteps had faded to silence, the Night Furies seemed to be satisfied. **'They're gone,'** one said. **'Now we move.** '  
Feeling a little uncertain, Lara clambered onto the back of one Night Fury, while her mother and little- brother settled onto a second. Once they were ready, the four dragons rose into the sky, gaining altitude until they were indiscernible from the night itself.

 _Early morning; 7 days before the Council of Chiefs_ ,

The sun was just beginning to rise when the island of Berk appeared on the horizon. They could see the distant outline of buildings, as well as the distant shapes of dragons moving to and from the island.  
As they drew closer; one of the Night Furies said, **'Good; we didn't miss it!'**

Lara frowned, "Didn't miss what?" She could've sworn the dragon smiled at this, but she couldn't be sure.

' **Hiccup and Toothless, the first Rider-Dragon pair, always start their day with a morning flight. It's… well; see for yourself!'** The Night Fury tilted her head a little to one side, and nodded.

Leanne, Lara, and Thom turned in the direction the dragon had indicated, and their eyes widened: Another Night Fury was making its way away from the island. As they watched, it plummeted towards the ocean; and sped beneath the tail of a whale, moments before it vanished into the sea! As the dragon rose back into the air, swirling and spinning, they could just make out the figure on its back.  
The dragon shot skywards, until it hovered several thousand feet above the ocean. Then the rider leapt out of the saddle; and plummeted towards the waves, far below! As he fell, rider and dragon rotated around one another. Then the rider did… something, and a set of glider wings extended to either side! For a full minute, Rider and Dragon flew, side by side.

Then they seemed to notice the new arrivals, drawing steadily nearer. The dragon moved below him, and the rider retracted the wings, settling back into the saddle, a moment later. As the distance between them narrowed, they began to see more details: the rider was clad in black from head- to- toe, over which he wore some sort of 'riding- outfit', which must also have contained the mechanism for his glider. A helmet, fashioned in the likeness of a Night Fury's head, hid his face from view. Last of all, they saw the red and black insignia they'd last seen on the scroll case delivered by the Terrible Terror; displayed prominently, on his right shoulder.

As Toothless pulled up along side them, the rider, who could only be Hiccup, reached up, and removed his helmet, placing it on the saddle in front of him. His face was narrow and solemn, framed by dark brown hair. He turned to the nearest Night Fury, "Everything went smoothly?" His voice was soft, relaxed, and he sounded entirely unsurprised to see them.

This time, Lara was sure the Night Fury did smile, **'Your plan worked perfectly, as usual.'**

"A plan is only thoughts and words: It is the execution that makes it perfect… Well- done, my friends." As Hiccup spoke, Sneaky settled onto his shoulder. "And you, Sneaky; Astrid will be pleased." He turned his attention to the humans, then, "I would say 'welcome to Berk', but technically its still three miles away, so I think I'll wait until we're a little closer."

"Thank you, for saving us," Leanne said, in a rush. "I… I thought… I wasn't sure if…" Her voice faded to silence, as though she didn't want to put 'those thoughts' into words.

Hiccup inclined his head in acknowledgement, "I'm glad we were able to help, though the credit must go to the Night- Fury Colony," he gestured around them, "and the survivors from the Shivering Shores' patrol- fleet… You did see the letter their Chief sent, yes?"  
As he spoke, the Night Furies continued to make their way towards the island.

Leanne nodded, hesitantly, "It came the day before we were taken, but it never said anything about them taking hostages…"

"It was buried; the Shivering Shores' men wouldn't have seen it, either." Hiccup admitted. "In a nutshell: the Kraken banners belong to the thirteen 'Kraken Lords'; the other crests on the sails, mentioned in that letter, belong to tribes they've conquered, subjugated, and absorbed into their own ranks. I guessed they might be using hostages to keep their 'new recruits' in line, so I asked the Night- Fury Colony to send patrols, like this one, to keep an eye on the other villages, in case they tried to take more."

No one spoke for several minutes, than Lara said, "But… that can't be right: They never tried to make Father turn- over control of his men; they just took us and went!"

Hiccup was silent for a moment; "I think what they were looking for, in this case, was leverage over a northern- chief… A chief who would sit- in on _the Council of Chiefs_." He turned to face them, "A chief who could then give them a complete itinerary of our plans: numbers, positions, deployment strategies, rendezvous details… The kind of information they could use to pin down our own forces, so they could move-in and gather enough … _incentive_ to force unconditional- surrender."

"Oh, gods…" Leanne breathed. She turned to Lara, "As they were bringing us down to their boat, I glanced back, and saw one of them talking to your father… to Thommen!" She turned to Hiccup, but seemed at a loss for what to say.

"I expected as much," Hiccup said, a small smile on his face; "In fact: that's why I added the 'two paths' direction to that scroll I sent you."

Lara's eyes widened, "I get it: The path I was on kept splitting off, and crisscrossing; I'd have gotten lost a hundred times if … Sneaky, is it?" The Terrible Terror inclined her head. "If Sneaky wasn't there! They'll have to search each path, thinking that we're getting further away with every wrong turn they make!"

Hiccup nodded, "And, since the three of you are safe, now," he turned to Leanne, "I imagine your husband will be willing to 'falsify' his report, a little? I have a few… _suggestions_."

Leanne's shoulders slumped in evident relief, even managing a tired smile. "He'll want to do a lot more to these 'kraken- lords' than falsify a report, but it should do for a start."  
As she spoke, the Night Furies began to make their descent towards Berk, which was now below them. Even from their height, they could see a crowd of people, and dragons, beginning to gather.

 **Part Three – Summer**

The following morning, Leanne, Lara, and Thom awoke refreshed, and almost- entirely recovered from their ordeal.  
Once they, and the other villagers had eaten breakfast; Hiccup and Astrid showed them around Berk. It was incredible, but the most 'exciting' thing happened as the second hour of the tour was drawing to a close.  
They had arrived at an open, grassy field, where a number of wild- dragons had stretched out, basking in the light of the sun; and were making their way through the midst of them. The dragons, for the most part, seemed to find the new arrivals interesting enough to watch, though they themselves stayed where they were.

Then a youngish Deadly Nadder, with scales as green as leaves on trees, in the middle of summer, trotted up to them; examining Lara, curiously. The girl pulled back, uneasily, "What… What does it want?"

Hiccup held up a hand, reassuringly, "She just wants to say 'hi'." He smiled, "We've been guarding our knowledge of dragons very closely, the past five years; because too many people viewed them as potential- weapons, not as the incredible creatures they are… It was my intention to begin sharing that knowledge, once the opportunity arose, and now seems as good a time as any."

It took Lara a moment to process what Hiccup was saying; then her eyes widened, "How?"

"The key to forming a connection with a dragon is 'trust'; the dragon needs to trust you, and he or she needs to know that you trust them." He gestured to the Deadly Nadder, "She trusts you enough to get this close, now you need to prove that you trust her… Hold out your hand, it doesn't matter which one, like this," he showed her, and continued, "If she believes you're sincere, she'll make the final step in forming the connection."

Lara nodded, to show that she understood, and held out her hand. Off to one side, Hiccup said, "If you're worried, or scared, don't try to hide it; let her see it, and trust her not to…"  
The Deadly Nadder lowered her head; resting its forehead, lightly, against Lara's palm. Then she raised its head, blew a gentle current of warm air through her nostrils, and nuzzled her snout against Lara's cheek. A single word resonated through their minds, **'Friend.'**

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "Well… that went well." Next to him, Astrid nodded in agreement. Turning back to Lara, he added, "You should pick a name for her, when you get the chance."

Almost without realizing it, Lara whispered, "Summer."

' **Summer,'** the dragon said, thoughtfully, than she nodded. **'Warm, green… I like it.'**

 **Part Four – Council of Chiefs**

 _Great Hall of Berk; Present day_ ,

Once the assembled chieftains were, at last, ready to discuss the threat that faced them, the Chief of the Shivering Shores officially declared the council underway. The chiefs, sat around a table that had been dragged into the center of the Great Hall. Sitting on benches, along the walls and in rows to either side, sat their guards, and villagers from Berk.  
This wasn't, strictly speaking, 'traditional', but they made an exception; seeing as word of the enemy had already spread as far as it had, and a secret council would only lead to rumors and speculation, which would only complicate matters further.

Once the traditional formalities had been observed, the Naming of The Chiefs and Tribes, and so on, the Chief of The Shivering Shores called his son forward, to deliver his report in person. Once he had, his father asked if any of the other chiefs had questions they wished to pose to his son, who had been present at this first encounter.

Hiccup rose to his feet, "I don't have any questions, though I do have important information on a related encounter; news that will have a profound affect on someone at this table, and a plan to resolve our… situation."

One of the other chiefs at the table scoffed, "You're still a boy! How could you possibly do any of those things? Any one of us has more experience than you!"  
A ripple of annoyance moved through the villagers gathered in the hall; Hiccup merely glanced at them, and the crowd settled. Several of the chiefs took notice of this, before returning their attention to Hiccup; several of them appeared thoughtful.

Hiccup smiled, "I've risen to my position more recently than the rest of you, true; but experience has less, I think, to do with the years one has lived, and more with what they've experienced, and learned, from them. Besides: Age and appearance will rarely give you the full measure of a person; whereas their _accomplishments_ can speak volumes."

"You _do_ have a… _notable_ reputation, from what I've heard," The Chief of the Shivering Shores mused. He glanced around the table, "Lets hear him out, I say… Worst case, we add a few more minutes to our meeting." There was a general murmur of agreement, at this.

Hiccup began by describing the two ships that bore the Kraken- crest, and the man who introduced himself as "Emric, of The Thirteen Kraken Lords"; how Emric had cited a connection to Drago Bludvist; and how he, Hiccup, had ended their discussion, on that note.  
"I have also discovered a hidden danger; detailed in the letter we all received, calling us to this meeting; one I have already taken 'precautions' against." Then, Hiccup explained the true meaning of the 'two banners', seen on the enemy ships.

Shouts filled the hall, as he concluded the description, and it took several minutes of bellowing for the Chief of the Shivering Shores to restore order. Once he had, he took several deep breaths, and turned back to Hiccup. "You said you have 'taken precautions against this danger': Explain."

"Normally, I would have gone through the usual channels before making this kind of decision, but time was against us, and a delay might well have cost us the war … Once I realized the full scope of the threat, I sent Night- Fury patrols to all northern villages, to monitor for any such attempts."  
A rumble of angry mutters began to move through the room; before they could drown him out, Hiccup continued " _AND, they found one_."

The angry mutters died as quickly as they had begun, and Hiccup described the format of the operation. He concluded by saying, "The 'hostages' were recovered safely, and arrived here seven days ago. I kept this operation secret because the successful completion of this rescue, was also the most _sensitive_ phase of the battle- plan I mentioned."

"You mean… they're safe?" the words exploded out of a chief who had, up until that point, remained stone- faced and silent.

Hiccup smiled and raised an eyebrow, "Leanne, Lara, and…"

"Thom," the man finished. "Gods be good; I want to see them!"

"Of course," Hiccup said, nodding. Turning around, he called, "Would someone show our guests in?" Several people moved to do as he'd asked, and Hiccup turned back to the chief who'd spoken. "By the way, your daughter's made a new friend; I hope you don't mind." Three minutes later, Leanne, Thom, Lara and a Deadly- Nadder, with scales as green as leaves in summer, entered the Great Hall of Berk.  
A tidal wave of startled exclamations filled the room, at the sight of Summer.

Once they had faded to silence, Hiccup continued, "The arrival of dragons on Berk, as part of our daily lives, has changed the way we live, in ways beyond anything you can imagine now. Personally, I've always believed that such a change, on a larger scale, would benefit all of us; though the actions of _certain parties_ ; most notably: The Outcasts, and The Berserkers, both of whom expressed _considerable_ _interest_ in this knowledge; made it … ' _unfeasible'_ , at the time. Now, however," Hiccup shrugged. "Well… Suffice it to say that the matter will be … ' _open to discussion_ ', once we have dealt with the current threat."  
The current of murmurs in the room, angry only a few minutes before, became excited; a sense of awed wonder settling on the group.

Finally, the Chief of The Shivering Shores again turned to Hiccup, "So… You've delivered on your 'important information on a related encounter'; and 'news that had a profound effect on _everyone_ at this table'… I believe this brings us to your plan?"

Hiccup's eyes gleamed; he took a moment to glance around the hall, than he began to talk.

 _A short time later_ ;

It had taken Hiccup just fifteen minutes to describe his plan, in full detail, to the assembled Vikings. The silence that had followed had gone unbroken for almost six minutes.

Finally, the Chief of The Shivering Shores turned to his eldest son, and said, "If I ever start talking about attacking Berk, you grab the nearest shield, whack me over the head, and tell me to come to my senses – That's an order."  
His son, who looked as though someone had just whacked _him_ over the head with a shield, merely nodded; his eyes still fixed on Hiccup.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 **Part One – Master Strategist**

Now that he had 'the floor', Hiccup took a moment to take in the assembled Vikings: the other Chiefs, and those who sat along the walls.  
Finally, he said, "This entire war turns on the hostages these 'Kraken Lords' take … It is the source of their strength, but it's also their _greatest weakness_ : their forces are not _loyal_ to them." He produced a small scroll, and held it up, "I've selected twelve locations for initial battles: the first," he nodded to the Chief of The Shivering Shores, "is about eight miles south of the Shivering Shores; the others are several miles apart, to the east and west, forming a rough line. Each of you," he paused, nodding to his fellow Chiefs, "would send a force to one of these locations; augmented with a force of dragons, to provide aerial support." Hiccup paused, then, to give those listening a chance to process what he'd said so far.

The Chief of The Shivering Shores raised an eyebrow, "I agree with forming a defensive line, but why eight miles to the south? And so spread out?"

The gleam in Hiccup's eyes was one the people of Berk knew well. "With the loyalty of their forces so … ' _uncertain_ ', the Krakens will demand frequent reports from their ' _recruits_ '; detailing their location, and activities; whenever they deploy. They'd be fools not to; and, judging by their past successes, they are not fools." Hiccup paused, to take a sip of water.  
"Between the ships you send, and the dragons who'll be joining them, it'll be a simple matter to keep them at bay until their next check-in time. When they do, have a navigator make a careful note of the direction the bird flies in: those furthest to the east must angle more sharply west to reach their destination; nearing the center of their line, that angle will gradually decrease, until the bird flies straight." He smiled, knowingly. "Relay that information to me, and I can use it to pinpoint the location of the Kraken Lords' _hostage- ship_ , or ships, as the case may be. Once I have a location, I intend to seize that ship, or ships; give the _former- hostages_ safe- sanctuary on Berk. Once here, I will ask them to prepare letters to their wayward families: explaining that they are safe, and that I am willing to either arrange their immediate return, or extend that sanctuary until the Kraken lords have been … 'dealt with'."

Leanne, who'd joined her husband; along with Thom, Lara and Summer; gasped. Several people turned to look at her; but she seemed not to notice, "The day we arrived on Berk; you said something about Thommen being ' _willing to alter his reports'_ , since we were safe!"

Hiccup nodded, "I'll get to that in a moment." He turned to Tyrone, son of the Shivering Shores' Chief. "When I read about your encounter; several things jumped out at me, aside from the 'two banners' … I believe they launched that attack because they wanted you," he nodded to Tyrek; Tyrone's father, "to convene this council; and that they used it as a distraction to move ships around, and into our territory ... The two that visited Berk, and," he nodded at Thommen "the two that seized your family, at the very least. Through a friend, in the Scauldron population, I've arranged for him, and several dozen of his kin, to patrol neutral waters. With your consent, they're ready to extend their search into your respective territorial waters; they'll check for any… _uninvited guests_ , and then continue on their way. Unless you see a Scauldron taking an… ' _Unusual interest_ ' in a cove or inlet, the area's clear."  
He turned to where Ruff and Tuff were sitting, and called "Scauldy sends his regards!" The twins high-fived, and Ruff cried "All-right; Scauldy!"  
Unanimous consent came so easily; Hiccup might have 'asked' them to keep breathing. Once the last of them had agreed, Hiccup asked an un-partnered Deadly- Nadder to relay word to the Scauldrons.

No one else made to speak, so Hiccup continued; "The Kraken Lords are using a _highly- developed_ strategy… It is, of course, possible that they developed it slowly over time; but I felt I could not ignore the possibility that someone in their hierarchy might possess a grasp of tactics and strategy that, if you'll excuse my brief lack of modesty, rivals my own."  
The silence that followed this statement went unbroken for a full minute, as the listeners tried to wrap their minds around the possibility.

Finally, Tyrone said, "If that's true, how're we supposed to…" His voice drifted to silence.

Hiccup's calm expression never wavered, "I'm not _overly_ concerned about the possibility; at least… Not anymore."  
Turning to Leanne, Thom, and Lara; Hiccup said, "No doubt Blackthorn and his men are stumbling through those woods even now; sure that the three of you had no way to get out, and that no-one knew you were there."  
Turning to Thommen; he added, "And, as far as they know, the last time you saw your family was when they came and dragged them off … _Surely you wouldn't dare_ give them anything less than the truth, while they hold your family as leverage." Hiccup's smile widened, "Or, more accurately: while they _think_ they hold your family."

" _Of course not_ ," Thommen said, agreeably; he might have smiled, but his beard hid it. "And what, exactly, would I be telling them? Blackthorn said to leave a scroll with the details of this meeting on Berks' easternmost cliff top before sunset; they're going to send one of their over-glorified chickens to get it."

"The twelve battle locations, for a start." Hiccup looked around, at the other chiefs; and smiled, wryly. "After that: Whatever _we want them_ to know; this is a _Council of Chiefs_ , after all." He shrugged, "I have a few _suggestions_ , but they're just that: _suggestions_." A full minute passed in silence. Then Chief Thommen blinked, nodded; produced a sheet of parchment, and began to jot down a few notes.

Tyrone was frowning, "But what if you're wrong about how these … 'kraken- lords' came up with their plan, though? … If they _do have_ a strategist who's at your level, what's to say he won't figure it out?"

Hiccup let out a low chuckle, "Some people are gifted with strength, or skill with weapons; but my greatest weapon, has always been my mind. I learned to read people, at an early age: Learn how a person thinks, and you can discover where they are weak: if that person is an enemy, you know where to strike."  
Turning to face Tyrone; he continued, "My plan is hidden behind what they _expect_ to see, what they _want_ to see: I designed it, _specifically_ , to imitate the early stages of a _Kraken- victory_ … Once they receive their report, _they'll think they're winning_."  
Hiccup paused for a moment, to take a sip of water, and continued, "They will do what they have done so many times before, and they will expect the same result; but when the time comes, and they think their plan complete, it will fall apart before their very eyes."

It had taken Hiccup just fifteen minutes to describe his plan, to the assembled Vikings. The silence that followed went unbroken for almost six minutes.

Finally, the Chief of The Shivering Shores turned to his eldest son, and said, "If I ever start talking about attacking Berk, you grab the nearest shield, whack me over the head, and tell me to come to my senses – That's _an order_."  
Tyrone, who looked as though someone had just whacked _him_ over the head with a shield, merely nodded; his eyes still fixed on Hiccup.

Hiccup gave them a wry smile; "Nothing I've said is intended as a threat; merely that I did not spend the past four and a half years quietly subduing 'aggressive parties' for some self-styled 'lords' with delusions of grandeur to come trampling across the Archipelagos ... I'm just not having it."  
This 'summary' cut through the momentary tension, as the listeners interpreted Hiccup's message: ' _My goal is peace; don't start wars without reason, and we'll get along great_.'

It took a few minutes, but the conversation soon moved on to the 'smaller details' of their deployment plan. All the while, Thommen confirmed and recorded the notes for his 'treacherous report'.

 **Part Two – The Dragon War; The Terrible Truth**

 _Several hours later;_

Once the official business was taken care of, Thommen turned to Hiccup, "Now that all that's taken care of, there's a question I'd be most interested in hearing answered."

Hiccup inclined his head, "By all means."

"We've been fighting dragons for three hundred years; it was just … the way it was… What started it?" Thommen's words immediately caught the attention of everyone in the hall, and the growing murmur of conversation quickly faded to silence.

Hiccup sighed, "The Three Hundred Year War; A tragedy to both sides…" He turned to Toothless, as though asking a silent question.

The black dragon, which had been curled up, behind Hiccup's chair, shifted. A moment later, the dragon spoke so all could hear, **'You begin; I'll pick up … where I did the first time.'**

Hiccup nodded, and turned back to face the other Chiefs, several of them appeared surprised, by the contact. Hiccup took another drink, and a deep breath, and began to tell the story. "Ironically, all of this," he gestured around the hall, at the assembled dragons, "began during one of the night-time dragon- raids … I'd spent the weeks leading up to it working on a modified net- launcher; with what was then the usual idea in mind; shoot down a dragon, kill it, earn respect. I figured I'd get the biggest reaction by going for the most elusive prize: a Night- Fury. The launcher worked, but 'someone'," he nodded to Toothless, "bit through the rope on his end, and vanished into the night…"  
He shrugged, "I knew he couldn't have gotten far, so I spent most of the following day looking for him… Around midafternoon, I saw some trees with broken branches; the first ones higher up, but getting progressively lower down, as it moved on; as though whatever had made them was losing altitude. Followed the trail, until it ended in a cove; and, there he was… still tangled up in the net. I looked him in the eye, and... a connection opened up, between the to of us; a connection he used to learn our language, and that, over time, allowed me to learn theirs."

Lara frowned, "Uh, sorry; but… when you say ' _learn theirs_ ' do you actually mean…"

Hiccup smiled, leaned back, and uttered a series of growls, and a low roar. A moment later; a Terrible Terror, carrying a water skin, landed on Hiccup's shoulder. Hiccup took the water skin, "Ah; thank you." The dragon trilled a reply, and flew back to his perch.  
Hiccup turned back to Lara, turned his cup upside down, shrugged and said, "Needed a refill… and yes; I learned their 'native' language, and they learned ours … an exchange of knowledge, if you will."  
"After that first encounter, I returned to the cove every afternoon; I'd learn a little more about dragons, and began designing an early version of a saddle, and my flight suit. A few days later, Toothless taught me how to imitate a Night- Fury call, and told me to use it if I ever needed his help… The following morning, Alvin and his Outcasts attacked. Those of us who weren't fighting took shelter in the arena, but Alvin sent a team around to seize hostages; figured it was a good time to 'call a friend'."

Toothless snorted; **'They weren't much of a challenge, but still: I hadn't had that much fun in years; I** _ **would**_ **say they screamed like four-year-old girls, but I've never** _ **actually**_ **heard any four-year-old girls screaming first-hand ... I have, however, heard shrieks of laughter, and the similarity in pitch was** _ **uncanny**_ **.'** A roar of laughter, that took almost a minute to subside, greeted this comment.

"Afterwards, Toothless agreed to answer any questions my father had; his first question was 'why were the dragons raiding us for food'." Hiccup sighed. "That was when we learned the truth…"

 **Part Three – 'Fight With Us'**

Toothless moved forward, to stand at Hiccup's side, and turned to look at Thommen; **'Since your question is similar to the one he asked, I will answer you as I did Stoick: Have you ever heard of the species of dragon known as the Red- Death?'**

The silence in the hall became absolute. Thommen's eyes widened, "But … the Red- Deaths are just a legend…"

Toothless shook his head, **'Red- Deaths are** _ **very rare**_ **, thankfully, but they are real… and they are always hungry. The rest of us eat fish, and only fish, but the hunger of a Red- Death drives it to eat any food it can find… fish, sheep, she would have eaten humans if any were brought to her, and, of course, she would eat any dragon unfortunate enough to come within reach of her jaws: Red- Deaths are cannibals.'** Toothless waited for a minute, to let that sink in, then continued; **'When I relayed the truth of our situation, and explained that, if freed from her influence, peace between dragons and humans could become a reality, Chief Stoick ordered his people to ready the Berk Fleet, and I agreed to lead them to her lair.'**

By some unspoken signal, Hiccup continued, "Before we left Berk, I helped Astrid partner with Stormfly; Fishlegs with Meatlug, Snotlout with Hookfang, and Ruff and Tuff with Barf and Belch…" Several people frowned at the last set of names, and Hiccup shot them a look that seemed to say 'yeah, I know; right?'  
"Once our preparations were complete, Toothless revealed that the nest was located on an island beyond the formation we know as 'Hellheims Gate': a structure through which only the dragons knew how to navigate. He also admitted that, on the few occasions our ships followed dragons there, they would deliberately fly over the shallow rocks, as he said, 'it was far better for those on board to run aground outside, than to meet the monster within'. He also directed us to a weaker section of cavern wall, which we were able to break through with a single volley of catapult fire… When the outer wall collapsed … there is no describing it: hundreds of dragons poured from the opening, rising into the sky; fleeing… Toothless called up to them: 'The humans know the truth now; The Death-bringer dies today!' … Many joined us, many more fled, and – for the first time in history, humans and dragons fought together."  
"Eventually, the Red- Death killed enough of them that the rest fled; leaving the five we were riding. One by one, the others were forced to pull back, and it was just the two of us… The sky was dark with clouds, so we rose up, into the thick of them, for the extra cover; she followed. Toothless shot a few more plasma blasts at her wings, where a number of the other dragons had focused their attacks; he saved his last, though… We shot in front of her, so she'd see us, and than down… out of the clouds, and back towards the mountain that sheltered the nest."

Hiccup fell silent, and Toothless continued. **'As we shot downwards, Hiccup kept his attention on the Red- Death; we knew she'd breathe fire the moment she had a clear shot. When he saw her breathe her gas cloud, Hiccup gave the signal, I spun around, and launched my last plasma- bolt; it ignited the cloud, and propelled it back into her…'** He snorted, **'We're only fireproof on the outside; most of us can't breathe enough gas at one time for such a technique to work; for her, though, it was** _ **another**_ **matter. She collided with the side of her mountain, and vanished in an explosion… what's left of her is still there, as far as I know.'** He was silent for a moment. **'By sheer chance, her tail connected with us, knocking Hiccup out of my saddle… I caught him, and, while it wasn't my "best" landing, I got us back to the ground, while Hiccup had an "encounter" of his own.'**

Toothless turned back to Hiccup, but Hiccup seemed lost in thought. The black dragon gave him a light thump on the arm, jolting Hiccup out of his reverie. "Huh? Oh, right…" He was silent for a moment, then continued, "To be honest, I barely remember getting knocked out of the saddle; everything just … turned white, like a sort of mist… Then it parted, and I saw… Him… Thor."  
A current of shocked exclamations rippled through the hall, but no one disputed Hiccup's statement. Something about his expression, and his accomplishments… somehow, it seemed only natural that he would draw the attention of The Gods.  
"Thor said that they, the Gods, have been monitoring our war with the dragons almost since it first began; waiting for the ones who would break the divide between our races… How, for centuries, humans have fought and killed dragons for the honour and glory; but never tried to bridge the gap … to actively seek a peace. He said that by joining forces, we had broken the divide between the races, and proven ourselves worthy to oversee the transition… Parts of the conversation were removed from my memory, because the time was not right for me to have certain information. He told me that, some day, the need for secrecy would pass, but in the meantime, I am to continue to strengthen the peace. First, that meant securing the dragons' place on Berk; now it means ensuring that the knowledge is, safely, circulated. Once we were at war; now we are meant to make peace."

Toothless considered the assembled Vikings for a moment, and then he let out a low chuckle. **'It seems appropriate, in a way… Our peace with the Vikings of Berk began when we joined forces with them, and fought our 'war' against the Red- Death,'** he turned to Hiccup, **'with you…'** He turned his attention to the other Chiefs, and those who accompanied them to Berk – except, that is, for Dagur and The Berserkers. **'Now it is your turn: Fight with us… Prove to us, that we can trust you.'**

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

 **Part One – The 'Boy- Chief'**

 _Three months after leaving the Iron Islands,_

It had been nearly three months since they had left the Iron Islands, to begin their journey north. Their armada had been _relatively_ small, at first; a 'mere' two- hundred ships, though it had since grown _considerably_ larger.  
The first part of their journey had been slow: A meandering path, as they rendezvoused with the subjugated- forces. Once they had, the pace picked up, the new ships forming the leading edge of the force, the most dangerous position.

Two miles behind the subjugated forces, sailed the Kraken Lords' "original" armada; Two miles behind them, came the Kraken Lords' Warship; from which the Thirteen Lords both commanded, and deployed. With them, sailed the two massive, lumbering, _hostage- ships_ : manned, and guarded, by their Lords' most loyal followers.

As they drew nearer to their destination, a halt was called; four Kraken Lords disembarked from their warship, and took up their positions: Lord Blackthorn would take two ships, and see to 'arranging for an informant' to relay their enemies' plans to them; Lord Emric would go to Berk, to get the measure of their Chief, and the mysterious 'Dragon Master', Hiccup. The other two would oversee activities on the front lines; each accompanied by a small force of personal- guards.

Once their ships were in position, off to one side of the 'main force'; the two hostage- ships, and two other boats, dropped anchor… This was as far as they would go.  
The rest continued on for another four miles, than the rest of the Kraken Armada, including the Lords' ship, also dropped anchor.  
Than the fleets of the subjugated- chieftains continued forward: joined by the four Lords, each commanding their two ships.

 _Five days before The Council of Chiefs, On-board the Kraken Lords' Command Ship,_

Save for the smaller 'feast hall', and the fact that fewer men were present, the atmosphere during supper was much the same as it had been back on the Iron Islands; nine 'serving girls' moved through the hall, while the men ate and took turns tormenting them.  
At the head of the hall, the Kraken Lords sat; again, much the same as they had on the Iron Islands. The main difference: nine of the thirteen were now in attendance.

About halfway through the meal, the doors at the foot of the hall were pushed open, and five men entered: the two men who had brought word of Drago's defeat, two honor guards, and… The noise of conversation faded to silence: the third man … was Lord Emric.  
And one look at Lord Emric's face made it clear that something was very wrong. "He… _He's Chief_ now; the Dragon Master _rules Berk_! He… he'll be on their Council, when it convenes!"

Lord Malcolm, who sat two seats to the High- Lord's left, snorted, "As if that matters … He's just a _boy_ ; it's not like…"

The High- Kraken gestured, and Lord Malcolm fell silent. "Did he accept our … 'offer'?" the High- Lord asked, pointedly.  
The entire hall seemed to be holding its breath… The 'offer' was one that awed and terrified in equal measure: Full Membership to the Kraken Council, in exchange for betraying the North, and bringing it into their power.

"He agreed to our request for an audience; doubtless to get the measure of whoever was sent, but … But he never gave me the chance to extend the offer." Lord Emric said, shaking his head. He took a deep breath, and added, "He… He claims that Drago was responsible for his father's murder, and ended the meeting on that note."

Off to one side, two of the serving girls, sisters, breathed a soft sigh of relief, and exchanged a glance. It still seemed like a lot to hope for, but if this 'dragon- master' had defeated Drago, than maybe…?

"That is … unfortunate," The Kraken Lord said, with a slight shrug. "But it changes nothing; Lord Blackthorn has secured sufficient _leverage_ to keep our informant 'motivated', and he has relocated to a secure location." He returned his attention to Lord Emric, "Back to this 'Dragon Master' … Describe him: do the _rumors_ we've heard have any basis in fact?"

A shudder passed through Lord Emric, "My lord; if anything, the rumors fall short: A boy he may be, but when he heard the name 'Drago'… I've _never seen_ anger like that before." He took a deep breath, and continued. "He doesn't _look_ like much: Average height, slight build… Wore a suit of black, scale- like armor; covered him completely from the neck down, and some sort of … flight- suit, over it. He held a matching, full- face helmet; an exact likeness of a Night- Fury's head; and, sheathed at his waist, was a sword that appeared to have been forged of the same material."

The High Lord nodded, curtly, "Anything else, of note?"

Lord Emric nodded, "His Night- Fury: we saw it; right after I mentioned Drago, there was this growling; the crowd parted, and it came forward … Could tell just by looking at it that it wanted to cut us down where we stood; probably would have, if Hiccup hadn't stopped it… Just placed a hand on its shoulder, turned back to us, and said ' _my friend, here, is about as 'fond' of the name 'Drago' as I am; we have nothing more to say to one another_ '." Emric paused to wipe his brow, "Whatever power this 'Hiccup' has over dragons goes far beyond anything Drago had, that much is clear."

The High- Lord gestured, first to Lord Emric, than to the other Lords at the high table. They gathered together, to discuss the latest news.  
Once they had, the men seated at the tables also began to talk amongst themselves. There was the usual boasting, jokes, and general bravado; but a sense of unease also hung in the air, though they all tried to ignore it.

By now, more of the serving girls had gathered, near the back of the room; none of them dared to speak, but they could tell, from one another's expressions, that a similar thought was on all of their minds: _'Maybe, just maybe…_ '

 **Part Two – The Need For Secrecy**

With the 'official business' they had gathered to discuss settled, for the time being; and some of their questions answered, the Council of Chiefs broke, for the day.  
It was late afternoon, too late to set out for home, but most elected to return to the boats they had come on, with the intent to depart at first light. All of them were eager to return to their tribes: to ensure that all was well, and to begin preparations for what was to come.

Once the other chiefs, their guards, and the other villagers of Berk, had filed out of the hall, Astrid and Valka moved to join Hiccup. Thommen, Leanne, Lara, and Thom also remained behind.

For several moments, no one spoke. Than Valka wiped her eyes, and said, "I wish your father could have been here to see you, today, Hiccup; he would've been … so proud."

"For good reason," Thommen agreed. "That was…"

"You talked to Thor?" Thom burst out, as though unable to contain the words any longer. "What was it like?"

"Unexpected," Hiccup said, smiling, his gaze distant. "My first thought was that I'd died, but even I couldn't have dreamed- up everything that's happened since, so I'm confident I can rule that out."

Lara hesitated for a moment, than asked the question that had been on her mind ever since Hiccup had described his conversation with Thor; "Speaking of Thor, there was something else I wanted to ask, but I figured I should wait…"  
Hiccup nodded, and she continued, "You said that Thor removed parts of the conversation from your memory because ' _the time was not right_ ' … 'Was', as in _past- tense_..."  
Lara let her sentence drift off; the implications were clear to all of them.

For a moment, no one spoke. Finally, Hiccup turned to Thommen and Leanne, "You have a clever daughter." Turning back to Lara, Hiccup continued, "You're right; my memories were restored six months ago." He placed a hand on Toothless's snout. "Through us, the dragons learned our language, and the way we live; both crucial to our coexisting." He turned back to Lara, "We are the living embodiments of the peace: if one of us died, prematurely, the connection we opened will begin to dissolve… It would be the start of a new war, one that'd make the Three Hundred Year War look insignificant; a minor inconvenience."  
He was silent for a moment, taking in their expressions. Than he continued, "That would be the price of failure… If we are successful in our task, the connection between humans and dragons, will stabilize and become permanent; as a result of the reward Thor promised me, during our conversation, following The Battle of The Red Death."

Astrid took a step forward, "Hiccup… are you sure you should be talking about this? I mean," she turned to Thommen, Leanne, and their children, "I'm not saying that we don't trust you, it's just…" There was a slight quiver in her voice, as she spoke.

Hiccup turned to Astrid, "I know, Astrid, but a great many questions were asked, today; and more will be asked, once this war is over. If other chiefs start asking the right questions, it may reach the point of having to refuse to disclose more information; which would only complicate matters." He turned to Thommen, "However, if even one or two other chiefs knew the _full truth_ , and would confirm the need for secrecy, it should be sufficient."

Thommen frowned, "This sounds… serious."

"It is," Hiccup agreed. "In fact, if I am to say any more than I have already, I will have to ask for the oaths of secrecy, I mentioned."

Lara hesitated for a moment, "And… who would we be swearing by, exactly?"

" **By me,"** An unseen voice stated. An instant later, there was a flash of light, and another figure stood before them; ten feet tall, and holding a hammer that crackled with electricity in his right hand.

Hiccup turned to the new arrival, and bowed from the waist, "Thor; it's been a while!"

Thor nodded, **"Five years, or near enough as makes no matter … I see you have begun the second phase of your task; That is good."**

An instant later, there was another flash of light, and a woman appeared next to Thor; also ten feet tall, with an aura of flames rippling around her. Hiccup bowed again, "Freya; to what do we owe the honor?"

Freya smiled, **"I had some time on my hands, and I haven't spoken to you since I enhanced the flames when you forged your armor; excellent craftsmanship, I must say."**

Toothless and the other dragons hurried forwards; bowing respectfully to Thor, before offering a slightly longer bow to Freya, calling her the **'Queen of Flames'.**  
The other humans remembered themselves, and followed their lead; they made no attempt to speak, however.

Both gods gave a brief nod of acknowledgement, than Freya turned to Hiccup, **"I do not think you will have any trouble securing oaths of secrecy now; show them your true self, Dragon- Lord."**

 **Part Three – The Dragon Lords; One Through Four**

Hiccup inclined his head, and closed his eyes in concentration; his eyes glowed green, and the blue lines traced their pattern, across his dragon- scale armor. He smiled, **"Three has always been a powerful number, as I recall."**  
As he spoke, a third wave of energy radiated outward from where he stood. As it did, the expressions of unease and uncertainty, on the faces of Thommen, Leanne, Lara and Thom changed into a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"You're… you're becoming… a… a God?" Lara stammered.

Hiccup nodded, **"Slowly, but surely… I can only channel this energy for short periods of time; however."** He was silent for a moment, than continued, **"It is a gradual transition; during which I remain human, and can be killed, as can any human; I … I've already told you what that would mean."**

Freya nodded, **"It is a risk, one we have done our best to minimize, but a risk none the less; great victories always require the greatest risks."** She turned to Thommen and his family. **"Now, for a proper introduction,"** she gestured to Hiccup, **"Before you stands The First of The Five 'Dragon- Lords'; who, on ascending to Asgard, shall take on the duty of preserving the peace between humans and dragons, until the end of time; He, The Four he chooses to aid him, and the dragons to whom they are partnered."**

A moment later, the blue lines on Hiccup's armor faded back to black, though he seemed to have no trouble keeping his balance; unlike on previous occasions, on exiting the trance.  
The silence that followed lasted for several minutes. Than Thommen, Leanne, Lara and Thom seemed to realize what the two gods were waiting for: one by one, they swore to keep the secret Hiccup had entrusted to them.  
Thor and Freya nodded once, in approval, and than, with two simultaneous flashes of light, they were gone.

Leanne considered Hiccup for a moment, than shook her head in awe; "Gods…"

The corner of Hiccup's lip twitched, "That about sums it up; it surprised me, too, when Thor told me about it."

"Have you had any thoughts on who to pick for the other four Dragon- Lords?" Lara asked, than she hesitated, and added, "If you don't mind me asking."

"I've already named Astrid my lieutenant; she played a crucial role in the early stages, and has continued to, ever since," Hiccup said, smiling, as he spoke. "As for the other three," He was silent for a moment, "Each one has a particular … 'purpose', something that sets them apart, and a title that corresponds to it… Toothless and I, we're 'The Peacemakers', having initiated the process of making peace between humans and dragons; Astrid and Stormfly are 'The Lieutenants', second- in- command: they've been doing that for close to five years, and I've never regretted making that call." Astrid smiled at the praise, her face a little pink. "The third will be 'The Convert'… I'm not sure, but there's someone on Berk, who was once one of Drago's dragon- trappers: he defected to our side in the early- stages of the conflict, and took up dragon- _riding_ … he's a _possible candidate_ , but, as I said, I'm not sure. The fourth is 'The Envoy'; symbolizing the secrets of dragon- lore moving beyond Berks' boarders… There are _two people_ I'm considering for that role," he turned to Astrid, "Heather is one, and the second…" he fell silent, and locked eyes with Lara. After a moment, he looked away, and shrugged, "Well; we'll see where things go."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six – War of The Kraken: Battle Lines**

 **Part One – Lord Bane**

 _Morning, four days before Council of Chiefs, the Kraken Lords' Command Ship,_

The remaining Kraken Lords, and their men, were about halfway through eating breakfast when the messenger arrived. Noticeably pale, and half- stumbling as he ran; he hurried down the length of the hall, coming to a stop before the High Table. He took several long, deep breaths, than rasped; "Message from … Lord Blackthorn: My Lords; the … the hostages he took… they're … they're gone!"

" _What_?" the High- Lord asked, sharply, as all other conversation in the hall fell silent. " _That is not possible_!"

"The night they … arrived," the man continued. "Just after nightfall; there was a noise, near the edge of their camp; while Blackthorn's men investigated, they fled into the trees… Lord Blackthorn says he'd sent his second ship to hold the base of their peninsula, on the way down, as a precaution. He writes that he's locked the area down, and his men are searching the forests as we speak; He assures us that they won't be able to hide for long."

" _No. They. Won't_." the High- Lord spat. Turning to the right, he called "Lord Bane!"

The silence in the hall seemed to grow even deeper; as the Lord seated to the far- right of the table rose to his feet, and moved to stand before the High Lord. In a soft, smooth voice, that carried only the slightest trace of the other Lords' accent, he said, "My Lord."  
Tall, fit, with dark hair framing his narrow face, Lord Bane was the grandson of the Lord who had devised 'The Method' that had won the Kraken Council their many victories. And, like his grandfather before him, he was a strategist who's equal they had yet to encounter among those now living. At the age of twenty- seven, he was also the youngest member of The Kraken's Council.

"Take ten ships, and as many of _our men_ as you feel you need," The High- Lord ordered. "Join Lord Blackthorn in his search: Remain there until you've either retrieved the hostages, who are to be placed in _your_ custody, if found; or until you must leave to retrieve our report. Examine the report during your return trip; and have your evaluation ready, on arrival."

Lord Bane bowed, "I shall depart within the hour, My Lord." The High- Lord nodded, a clear dismissal; Lord Bane stood, turned, and swept out of the hall.  
Once he had left, several of the serving girls exchanged nervous looks: ' _The "Dragon Master" might have defeated Drago; but could he, possibly, be a match for Lord Bane_?'

 _Five days later_ ;

When Lord Bane reentered the hall, it was immediately clear from his expression that all was not well. He approached the High Table, bowed, and said "My Lord."

The High- Lord acknowledged him with a nod; "What do you have to report? Have you retrieved the hostages?"

"I saw no sign of them," Lord Bane answered, his brow creasing in annoyance. "It did not help that Blackthorn's men had blundered down every path they could find... They had to pursue, of course; but in doing so, they inadvertently erased all trace of our quarry's passage."

"I see. I will be sure to _discuss_ the matter with Lord Blackthorn, on his return." The High- Lord said, coolly. "For now, though, have you retrieved our informant's report?"

"I have, My Lord." As Lord Bane spoke, he produced a scroll of parchment from an inside pocket of his embroidered robes. "According to the one- time chief, Thommen; the Northerners were, as you predicted, caught off guard by our swift arrival. Each of their chiefs intends to deploy a force to one of twelve locations; forming a line eight miles south of the Shivering Shores, and extending to either direction; with the intent to reinforce and solidify the line, as more ships become available. At first, it sounds normal enough; but a 'dotted' line is … _unusual_ , for defensive purposes, and the sole reference made to the 'Dragon Master' is his stating that he requires a few days to mobilize his dragons to deploy." Lord Bane cleared his throat. "It is a brief window; and, unless we move quickly, it will close before we can take advantage of it." His lips curled in a smile, "I suggest we send a detachment of our … ' _supplementary forces_ ' to engage each of their forward positions; and that we implement a mandatory two- day check- in, instead of the usual four… with the new factor of facing dragons to consider, I think it a prudent measure."

"Very well," the High- Lord nodded. "And as to the numbers; for both our first wave, and theirs?"

"I've made some notes, on the margins of the scroll, itself," Lord Bane said, offered the scroll to the High- Lord, as he spoke.

The High- Lord took the scroll, and examined it. After a minute, he nodded, "That should be sufficient." As he spoke, he motioned for the other Kraken Lords to gather around: for one last council of war, before they put their plan into action.

As the sound of conversation gradually returned to the hall, one of the serving girls turned to the others. In the lowest possible whisper, she asked, " _This can't be it: There must be more to the Northerners' plan…"_

Another girl glanced around, nervously, than whispered, " _You may be right; did you see the look on Lord Bane's face, when he came in? Something's bothering him; something he can't figure out!_ "  
Nobody spoke, after her; not wanting to risk attracting the attention of anyone else in the hall, but she a point… And the rest of them knew it.  
Hopefully, bad news for the Kraken Lords would lead to good news for them.

 **Part Two – Battle Begins**

 _Three days after the Council of Chiefs;_

Tyrek and his son, Tyrone, stood near the front of their ship; which, in turn, stood at the head of their fleet. Their destination: eight miles south of the Shivering Shores; their home. They arrived at the location Hiccup had indicated around midafternoon. When they did, they found the ocean ahead of them clear of ships, for now, at least.

This gave Tyrone a moment to think; and the first thing that came to mind was, or course, the Council of Chiefs; an event that, he knew, he would never forget. ' _I mean... Gods: Hiccup has these 'kraken- lords' tripping over themselves, before they've even drawn their swords!_ ' This, unfortunately, made him think of Hiccup's suspicion of there being a Kraken- Strategist who was his equal…

Tyrone's father moved forward to join him, and Tyrek seemed able to read his son's expression just fine; "I was just thinking the same thing, son: Hiccup and his plan on one hand; and the danger of someone like him, only an enemy, on the other … The first you want to believe…"

"…And the second makes you pray he's wrong," Tyrone finished. "Still… he seemed pretty sure that it wouldn't matter; all that about his plan 'being hidden behind what they want, and expect, to see'…" He shook his head, and managed a smile, "I've got to admit: I didn't think Hiccup had it in him; you know, in the best way I can say that!"

Tyrek shrugged, absentmindedly. "I don't think any of us did… And what he said about that 'Red Death'," He shook his head. "Three hundred years of war, all because one dragon bullied the rest into attacking us to bring her food…"

Tyrone nodded, "At least there's a solution now; we can't change what's done, but the dragons are giving us a chance to make it right… that's something." He was silent for a moment, "I've been thinking about what Hiccup said, during the meeting, and something jumped out at me; about the conversation he says he had with Thor…"

Tyrek considered his son, curiously, "Really… And what would that be?"

Tyrone looked around, to make sure no one was nearby, than lowered his voice; "He told us that Thor had removed parts of the conversation from his memory because ' _the time was not right_ '…"

Tyrek frowned, but before he could ask, Tyrone continued, "'' _Was_ ', dad; Hiccup referred to the conversation in the past- tense!" Tyrone looked around again. "I think Hiccup _has_ already regained the memories, but that they must relate to something he either can't, or doesn't want to, make public, yet."

Tyrek considered his son for a moment, his expression thoughtful; "Where are you going with this?"

Tyrone took a moment to organize his thoughts, than continued, "If he has recovered his memories, but doesn't want to make them public; he'll need a few other chiefs to support his holding the information back … If we asked about it, before the next Council session, and swore to keep the secret and back the need for secrecy…" He shrugged, "Better relations with the other tribes are always a good thing to strive for, but Berks' in a particularly good position now; and, Hiccup's aiming for the sky – literally! By the time _he's_ done…" Tyrone let the sentence drift off, and shrugged again.

Tyrek considered his son for a moment, than nodded, "You ask him the first chance you get, the next time we see him; and you can tell him that, if he needs secrecy, but is willing to tell us, we'll keep the secret and give him the support he'd need."  
One of their men gave a shout: boats approaching from the south! Tyrek turned to consider the boats, and shouted orders to the men nearest him.  
Before he moved off, he turned back to Tyrone, "Berks' making their mark on history; time we make ours!"

 _Two hours later_ ;

The moment the enemy ships were within range, their catapults went into action: hurling boulders in their direction! Several were clearly going to go wide, but one was bearing down at the lead boat!

Tyrek had just enough time to below "Take cove–" But before he could finish the order, a Gronkle dropped out of the sky, and swallowed the boulder whole! Tyrek's jaw hung open, as though trying to process what just happened.

By the time he'd closed it, there were a dozen Gronkles snapping any boulders that endangered the Shivering Shores ships right out of the sky!

' **Are those people crazy?'** One Gronkle asked, **'That was high- quality granite!'**

' **I know!'** rumbled a second, as it crunched away on another boulder. **'It's almost- criminal; throwing this stuff away!'**

' **Be fair,'** called a Deadly- Nadder, **'humans don't eat rocks; most of us don't, for that matter!'** As he spoke, the dragon shot over the heads of the Vikings below; launching spikes at the catapults on the nearest enemy ship.

' **True,'** the Gronkle admitted, **'but have you ever heard of a Gronkle with an iron deficiency? … I think not!'**

Tyrone turned to his father, grinning widely, "I think life in the Archipelagos is about to get a lot more interesting!"

"That's an understatement!" a voice called down from above. As they looked up, another Gronkle, this one with a Rider, was coming in for a landing.

"It's… Fishlegs, isn't it?" Tyrone asked, moving forward.

Yes, sir," Fishlegs said, nodding. "Meatlug, here, just wanted to see what kind of boulders these 'Krakens' were throwing; besides, they're an excellent source of…"

"Iron?" Several people said at once.

Fishlegs blinked, "Well, yes; iron… One of the other Gronkles already told you, didn't they?" He turned to Meatlug, "Go on, girl: eat up; you'll need your strength!"

' **My strength, sure,'** Meatlug agreed. **'But not a** _ **buffet…**_ **should've known this would happen, though: right after I'd lost that extra five pounds!'** Still, she started to rise into the air. **'Let me know when I reach fifteen, ok; that's my limit for this afternoon.'**

About a minute after Meatlug had risen back into the sky, a Typhoomerang appeared, coming in to hover a few feet above, and away from the leading ship. On its back, what must have been close to two- dozen dozing Terrible- Terrors lay, snoring lightly.

Fishlegs didn't look surprised, "Oh, good: the Terrible- Terrors are here!" He turned to the others, "That's actually the other reason we've come: these Terrible- Terrors are trained to deliver messages back to Berk. We'd found out, years ago, that Terrible- Terrors are very territorial: no matter where they end up, they'll always find their way back home!"  
From there, Fishlegs gave them an introductory course in how to send messages via Terrible- Terror.  
The variation: he told them to put the message into the Terrible- Terror's scroll- case, and let the dragon pick the case up. As Fishlegs said, "They can startle easily, if they're in a place with people they don't know… just give them a little extra space, until they get used to you." - After he'd finished his explanation, Fishlegs coaxed six of the Terrible- Terrors off of the Typhoomerang. The dragons promptly found a place they liked, curled up, and appeared to doze off.

'Fifteen boulders' after she'd risen into the air, Meatlug settled back onto the deck of their ship. By now, the rest of the Shivering Shores' fleet had formed ranks, their chiefs' ship at the front. There were fifty- eight, in total; sixty- three more ships were patrolling the waters between their position, and home.

All along the Northerners' lines, the dragon strike- teams were moving into position; Gronkles snacked on the enemy's' catapult projectiles, while Deadly- Nadders casually shot spikes; snapping through lines, scattering formations with deliberate near- misses, and so on. And, all along the lines, human warriors, on both sides, watched in a combination of awe and disbelief.  
And, in the case of the 'enemies', a tangible sense of unease; at least, at first…

 **Part Three – On The Other Side**

When the dragons had first appeared over the Northerners' ships, men of the subjugated forces of the Kraken Lords thought that what little 'luck' they might have had in life had deserted them.

Then, on a few of the boats, opposing the Shivering Shores' fleet, another thought was voiced. One that caught on and, with no direct Kraken- oversight, was carried from ship to ship; had any of the Kraken Lords been present, the 'thought' would have circulated far more slowly, and not nearly as openly.

Finally, it reached the man at the front of the leading boat, the chief of their tribe. He'd been standing there, envying the Northerners their brief, final days of freedom, when his cousin joined him at the prow. "Sir, have you heard what the men are saying?"

The 'chief' snorted, "Does it really matter what they're saying?"

"Sir; you've heard about the Chief of Berk, the Northern Dragon- Master, just as we all have…" His cousin persisted, gesturing at the dragons before them, as he spoke, "The talk has been going up and down the line of ships: the dragons haven't attacked… If Berk was ready to mobilize, and it looks like they may be, why are we still alive?"

The 'chief' sighed, "Just say whatever you're saying, blast it…"

"I'm saying," his cousin said, "What if _He's_ figured it out? If someone on one of the boats we were told to attack, two weeks ago, noticed that many bore different tribal crests, and they passed the information along, the Chief of Berk might've pieced it together; that the kraken- banner was a _conqueror's' banner_!" He paused for a moment, hesitantly, "What if he's…"

The chief eyes bulged, and he finished his cousin's train of thought, "What if he's trying to use _our positions_ to locate the Kraken Lords' command boat, somehow, or…" He pushed the thought aside; the command boat, maybe; the _'other boats'_ were too much to hope for.  
He thought about it for a moment, and than nodded, "We're not due to check- in for two days; but, now I think on it, those thrice-blasted-Krakens _probably would_ want to know about dragons being in the first wave … and sooner, rather than later."

His cousin caught the implications, and managed a small, knowing smile, "I'll write up a new report, and bring it to you for your seal." He turned, and hurried away.  
The chief turned back, to consider the fleet before them. For the first time in years, he almost felt a flicker of hope; ' _I've never heard of you until a few weeks ago, Dragon Master, but by The Gods; I hope you're as clever as they all think you might be… for the sake of my daughters, I hope you are._ '

 _ **To be continued…**_


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven – War of The Kraken: Gathering Forces**

 **Part One – Tales From Berk**

 _The morning after the Council of Chiefs; the Great Hall of Berk,_

After she'd heard Hiccup describe his conversation with Thor, and that he was _considering her_ as a _candidate_ for the Fourth of The Five Dragon Lords; 'The Envoy', Lara had been struggling to wrap her head around it all… It was the kind of thing that happened in legends, not in real life, and certainly not to her. She knew it wasn't 'certain', but the mere possibility; the fact that she was a candidate; awed her.

She, her mother, Thom and Summer had eaten breakfast with the other villagers, who had since departed to begin their various tasks for the day. Now, the three of them were gathered before the rows of portraits, depicting the previous Chiefs of Berk, and their sons: up to, and including, Hiccup and his father.  
After a few minutes, Leanne turned to her, "Have I ever told you about the Legend of Hamish the Second, and the treasure he was said to have buried on Berk?"

Lara frowned for a moment, thinking, "I think so, yes; people have been searching for it for centuries… Something about a map, and riddles that no one's been able to solve."

Thom's eyes widened, "Treasure? Can we look for it?"

Leanne smiled, "It's just a legend, Thom; and even if it wasn't, it'd be much too dangerous."

The sound of footsteps made them turn; and they saw Hiccup making his way towards them, Toothless at his side. "Actually; the Treasure of Hamish the First is quite real," Hiccup informed them. "My father and Gobber tried to find it, years ago; they couldn't solve the riddles, got caught in a snowstorm, almost died, as many have… Afterwards, he ordered that all remaining copies of the map be destroyed." Hiccup paused, lifted one of the portraits partway off of the wall, and produced a sheet of paper. "They… 'Missed' one, though."  
He handed it to Lara, gesturing for to her to open it.

Hesitantly, Lara unrolled the scroll; and examined the map. Almost immediately, she frowned. "'Where the land meets the see, in the crook of The Master's knee; that's where your search will be-gin'… What's that supposed to mean?"

Hiccup gestured at the portraits before them, "Hamish _the Second_ hid the treasure; why don't you take a closer look at the picture of him and his father."

For several minutes, Lara considered the portrait in question; then her eyes widened, "The way Hamish the First has his knee bent; it matches the sea- stack behind him!"

Hiccup nodded, "That part of the beach is a short flight from here; leading treasure hunters to the location for the next riddle, but that's as far as most of them got."

Lara turned her attention back to the scroll, and read the next riddle. "'From here you will see the sea that was sown; look to where water turns to bone'."

Hiccup's eyes gleamed, "I remember reading that riddle the day we found that map… It's a clever piece of work." Before they could ask; Hiccup continued, "Water is a liquid, bone is a solid; but, when water freezes, it turns to ice, another solid." He shrugged, "The only ice visible from that stretch of beach, that would've been here in Hamish's time, is the glacier."

For a full thirty seconds, no one spoke. Finally, Lara understood, "You've already found it; haven't you, the treasure." It wasn't a question.

Hiccup nodded, "The treasure, and the truth: There was a scroll, on a pedestal; between the entrance to the treasure- room, and the treasure itself; a message from Hamish the Second… It read: ' _this treasure was passed from father to son; I leave it to you the next worthy one. For only a 'hiccup' could've made it this far; from one to another, be proud of what you are_ '."

Another pause followed this revelation; broken when Leanne said, "But the portrait…" She glanced at the portrait the map had been hidden behind.

"Hamish the First hid the truth about his son; had the picture altered to fit his 'ideal' image of the son he wanted." Hiccup turned to face them, "Hamish- two designed his riddles so that another like him; someone he'd see as an equal; could solve them, and vindicate him."

Lara hesitated, "What do you mean 'vindicate him'?"

Hiccup turned to her, "When Hamish grew, caught-up to his peers, and the others' attitudes towards him changed; I believe Hamish the Second took it as an insult… Only when he 'fit the mold' was he accepted. The treasure hunt; the riddles, the map; was his legacy to another like him, and a trap to anyone else." Hiccup held out a hand for the scroll; Lara gave it to him, and he returned it to its place behind the portrait. "Would you like to see the treasure?"

When they responded in the affirmative; Hiccup led them to what appeared to be a storeroom, at the end of the Great Hall furthest from the entrance. As they drew nearer, it was clear Hiccup had both reinforced the door; and installed some kind of security- system. The moment they realized the latter; they paused, while Hiccup continued forward.

Hiccup manipulated something on the outside of the door; then unlocked, and opened it. Leanne, Thom, and Lara's jaws dropped: The room held close to twenty chests, and as many solid- gold statues. A small mountain of other precious goods rose, in the center of the room.  
"This is not the entire treasure," Hiccup told them. "Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff were with us, so we all got a share; though once the others heard that Hamish had, basically, left it to me, they decided I should get the, uh, _dragons' share_."

Then Lara noticed something that, to her, seemed out of place: a small table, on which rested a long, cylindrical object. It was elaborately decorated, and unlike anything she'd ever seen before. "Uh… Excuse me, Hiccup; what is that?"

Hiccup turned in the direction she'd indicated, and smiled; he retrieved the object, and rejoined them. "I call it the 'Dragon Eye'… It's kind of a long story." He gestured to some nearby benches; they made their way over, and sat. Hiccup locked the door to his treasure room, and came to join them.

"I guess you remember hearing how Dagur escaped from his prison, a few years ago?" Hiccup asked, joining them at the table; Leanne and Lara both nodded. "Well… Johann told us that; when Dagur commandeered his ship, he also took possession of a particular map; one that lead to a graveyard of ships where, at the time, Johann hid his 'treasures and wares'. He also warned us about a ship, 'the Reaper', that was riddled with booby-traps… We got there ahead of Dagur, so Toothless and I decided to check it out."

Lara's eyes widened, "You actually _went aboard_ the _one_ boat that Trader Johann warned you to avoid?"

"There's more to this armor than meets the eye." Hiccup explained, setting up the Dragon- Eye, as he spoke. "And it was worth the risk: The Dragon- Eye contains information on dragons; species, entire classes, we didn't even know _existed_ , and maps showing where they live. We've established an outpost; made some _new friends_ …" He grinned, "I've already sent word to a few of them, about our little ' _kraken- problem_ '."

Toothless chuckled, darkly. **'Those fools have** _ **no idea**_ **what they're up against!'**

"No; they don't…" Hiccup agreed; he grinned, and gestured to the Dragon- Eye. "Toothless; would you do the honors?"  
The black dragon moved into position, and breathed a low flame into the narrow end of the Dragon Eye. The sections along the sides of the cylinder glowed blue, than a ray of blue light burst from the opposite end, projecting a map onto the wall.  
"This is the map that got us started." Hiccup explained; he got to his feet, and moved to stand next to it. "Berks' down here," he pointed. "When we left, we came here; stopping at a number of these islands; until we got… here: The Dragon's Edge, our outpost." He glanced back at them; grinned, and pointed to another island, one _much closer_ to home. "And this, is The Isle of Night; the Ancestral- Home of… _the Night- Fury Colony_."  
He nodded to Toothless; the Night- Fury extinguished his flame, allowing the map to fade.

"That's… a lot to process." Lara said, finally.

 **Part Two – A Change of Circumstances**

 _The day after the Council of Chiefs, midafternoon; Chief Thommen,_

Chief Thommen, and the men who'd attended the Council of Chiefs with him; arrived home a several hours after noon. To say that his mood had improved since his departure, three days earlier, would've been an understatement of epic proportions.

The crowd that had assembled before them was quiet, and grim faced; expressions that changed to surprise when Chief Thommen chuckled. "Get everyone together; that boy of Stoick's gone an' pulled a stunt that'll have the Krakens cursing his name for a thousand years!"

His wife's younger sister, Leah, frowned; "My sister, and _both_ of your children, were taken by the Kraken Lords; no thanks to Berk… What could _Hiccup_ possibly have done?"

"You'll get the details when everyone's together," Thommen said, firmly. He looked around, at the others. "Well; go on! Gather everyone in the square; they'll want to hear this!"

 _Fifteen minutes later,_

Fifteen minutes after Thommen's boat arrived, the members of his tribe had gathered before him; ready to hear his news of the council.

Leah was the first to speak, her tone containing the same cool, bitter edge, as before. "So, what ' _great act_ ' did Berks' ' _master- strategist_ ' pull- off?"

"He saw _through_ the Kraken Lords' plans; guessed they used hostages for leverage; and dispatched Night- Fury patrols to monitor for abduction attempts." Chief Thommen said, shortly. " _One of those patrols_ was circling above us, that night; they _witnessed_ the abduction, and carried the information to Berk." He scanned the crowd, and continued. " _Chief_ Hiccup then sent a Terrible- Terror, carrying _extraction instructions_ , to their camp; my wife, daughter, and son were _airlifted_ to Berk the night after they were taken – _by four Night- Furies_! The entire operation was designed to get them out of harms way; and conceal their departure, so we could use _my report_ to channel falsified- information directly to the Kraken- commanders!"  
Thommen felt the mood of the crowd change: from subdued uncertainty, to awed disbelief. "He _also_ pointed out that, since the Kraken- Lords use _subjugated- forces_ , they won't trust them; they'll demand frequent reports _from them as well_ , detailing location and activities, whenever they're deployed. When the birds fly, we note their direction; and relay the information to Berk. Once Hiccup has enough reference points, he'll use them to _pinpoint, and seize, the Kraken Lords' hostage ships_ … He'll give them _safe- sanctuary on Berk_ , and ask them to prepare letters to _their families_ ; ' _they're safe, feel free to start taking kraken- heads_ ' – last bit's my words, but it comes to the same thing."

After a silence that lasted for several minutes, Leah said "Beard of Thor!"

Thommen smiled, but he didn't think anyone else noticed. "The fight hasn't even started, and Berks' half- won the war! I want our fleet ready to sail by nightfall; we sail at first light!" Thommen waited for a moment; when no one moved, he bellowed "OY; THAT MEANS _NOW_ … At this rate, we'll be lucky to get _a piece_ of Blackthorn to pommel; and _I want his head, not a finger- bone_!" Another bellow of approval greeted these words, and the crowd dissolved into a flurry of activity.

 **Part Three – The First 'Puzzle Piece'**

 _Eight miles south of the Shivering Shores; Four days after the Council of Chiefs_ ,

The sun had risen; and the men on both sides were up, and preparing for the days' events. Then they men on the lead Shivering Shores boats saw activity on the nearest of the enemy ships. Not sure what it might be; Tyrek ordered his men to prepare to load the catapults, and stand ready. The dragons, which had taken turns setting down on various boats, to catch a little rest, rose into the air; with the exception of the Terrible- Terrors, who sat where they were, several tapping on their scroll- cases.  
Than, almost as an afterthought, Tyrek ordered his navigators to prepare their instruments; so that, if a bird took off, they'd be ready to record its heading. It was well they had: mere minutes after the navigators were in position; a multicolored ball of feathers launched itself into the air, streaking off, to the south, and slightly to the east! The men aboard the ships were careful to control their reactions; the last thing they wanted was to make the men on the ships opposing them suspect their true intentions, but there was an undeniable sense of triumph in the air.

Five minutes later, the bird had dwindled to a spec; and it continued to grow smaller, as it drew further away. A moment later, the navigator on their boat approached Tyrek; "Sir, I marked the bird's path, and confirmed it with the navigators on two boats to both sides; we have a heading!"

"Excellent, Walden!" Tyrek said, nodding an acknowledgment. "Keep a record for yourself, and send a copy to Berk." The navigator, nodded, and hurried off.  
A few minutes later, Walden approached the nearest Terrible- Terror; and paused, a few feet away. The small dragon gave a slight nod, and tossed his scroll case into the air. Walden caught it, slid the scroll inside, and tossed it back. The dragon launched itself forward, snatched the case out of the air; and shot around the ship, dropping behind the stern, and speeding off, in a northerly direction.

 _Early that evening; on Berk_ ,

The Great Hall of Berk was crowded and noisy, full of the clatter of dishes, and general supper conversation. Until, that is; a Terrible- Terror shot between the doors, flew down the length of the hall, and landed just to Hiccup's right.  
Hiccup blinked, took the scroll case from the Terrible- Terror, and unsealed it. He unrolled the scroll, considered it for a moment, than raised an eyebrow, "Well; this is… unexpected."

"What is it?" Astrid asked, immediately, lowering her spoonful of fish stew, as she spoke.

"A scroll from Tyrek's forward position: we've just received our first reference point … I wasn't expecting to see one of these for another day or two, at the earliest." Hiccup's tone was thoughtful. "The timing could mean nothing, or everything…"

Snotlout snorted, "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Hiccup sighed, "When Emric came to Berk, he mentioned me by name; if you follow that logic along, there's a strong possibility that my reputation has permeated down through their chain of command … Now dragons have joined the first wave, but they've yet to attack their ships directly… Checking in early could be the closest this chieftain can come to pointing us in the right direction, without _openly disobeying_ his orders."

Astrid's eyes widened, "You think he's… _trying to help us_?"

Hiccup nodded, "The Kraken Lords would soon find out about the dragons joining the first wave in any case; so it'd be the least harmful information he could give them, with the most possible benefit to us; _if_ he thought we _might_ be tracking the bird's path, as in fact we are…" He was silent for a moment, than continued, "If no other messages arrive by noon tomorrow, it may be worth paying a 'little visit' to Tyrek's forward position, and see if our 'friend' wants to talk."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight – War of The Kraken: Unexpected Allies**

 **Part One – Plans, and Departure**

 _The Great Hall of Berk, same night;_

Silence followed Hiccup's words, and went unbroken for close to a minute. Finally, Astrid said, "You and Toothless aren't planning to go alone, I hope?"

"I was, at first," Hiccup said, giving Astrid a knowing smile. "Than I remembered who I'm married to." Most of the occupants of the great hall, Astrid included, rolled their eyes, but had to smile. Than Hiccup continued, "How about Toothless and me; you and Stormfly, and six Night- Furies – to keep watch while I talk to this chieftain. You, Stormfly, and the other dragons, can hold the line with Tyrek and his men; you'll have a good line of sight, and can react as needed, if something goes wrong." He shrugged, "All of this is, of course, assuming that we don't receive any more reports before noon tomorrow."

Astrid shook her head, smiling. "You always do have the answers… So: For now, we wait."

Hiccup nodded, "For now, we wait." Another moment of silence followed this; then the halls' occupants seemed to remember that their supper was getting cold, and returned to their food. Than the sounds of dishes, and conversation, resumed.

 _The following day; early afternoon_ ,

No more Terrible- Terrors had arrived on Berk with more reference points; so Hiccup and Toothless, Astrid and Stormfly, and their six Night- Fury escort rose into the sky. Then angled south, towards the Shivering Shores' forward- position.

 _A few hours later_ ,

The Shivering Shores' men were 'a little' surprised to see them; but they knew the fastest way to get answers was to let him speak.  
Hiccup grinned, "I know this visit is a surprise, but a rather interesting opportunity has come up: The reference point you sent is the first, and _only_ , we've received, so far. It occurred to me that someone in that fleet," he nodded towards the enemy ships, "might've figured out what we're trying to do: that message may have been sent _specifically_ to _point us in the right direction_."

Tyrone's eyes widened, "You think he's trying to _help us_?"

Astrid grinned, "That's _exactly_ what I said."

Hiccup smiled, nodded and, gesturing at the dragons around them, continued, "Dragons have joined the first wave, but they haven't attack directly – not like they could have… That, in itself, might make them wonder: _dragons_ lead them to _Berk_ ; and _Berk_ leads to _me_."

Tyrek nodded, thoughtfully, "The only gap in reasoning that'd leave is how you learned about the conquers' banners; and that could've easily happened during the council…"

Hiccup nodded, "I figured I'd go across and see if they have anything more … 'specific' they'd like to share. But first: to send a letter of intent," he producing a scroll, as he spoke. The nearest Terrible- Terror tossed him her scroll case; Hiccup sealed the scroll inside, and tossed it back. The small dragon caught the case, and launched herself towards the enemy ship that the messenger- bird had left from. "And," Hiccup continued, "a small gesture of goodwill." He turned his attention upwards, and uttered a short growly roar; immediately, the dragons who'd been circling above the enemy ships, and the empty ocean between the two fleets, began to withdraw; landing on the nearest of the Shivering Shores' ships.

Tyrek shook his head, "I don't know if I'm _ever_ going to get used to that."

Hiccup grinned, "It _does_ some getting used to, that's for sure… For me, it was getting used to being _able to understand_ dragon- conversations; it has come in handy, though."

"I can imagine." Turning, Tyrek gave his son a pointed look.

Tyrone nodded and took a step forward, "Hiccup; could I have a quick word with you?" He gestured to one side, as he spoke.  
Hiccup nodded, and they moved off. Tyrone said something; Hiccup grinned, and replied. Tyrone looked a little surprised; but spoke again, a slightly longer utterance than before. Hiccup's expression turned thoughtful; he nodded, and said several more words.  
Astrid could've sworn she saw Hiccup's mouth form the words ' _next time_ ' and ' _on Berk_ '; the rest she couldn't make out.

A few minutes later, they rejoined Astrid, Stormfly, and the rest of the crew; several of the Shivering Shores men appeared curious, but none of them asked for details. A moment later, the Terrible Terror returned. The moment she landed, the dragon said, **'I delivered your note… The man who picked it up read it once, his eyes bulged; and he ran off, shouting.'** She uttered a growly chuckle, **'I** _ **think**_ **they'll be expecting you, but best give them a few minutes.'**

 **Part Two – First Contact**

 _On the lead enemy ship, eight minutes earlier,_

Albert Woodsworth was pacing the deck of the lead ship of their fleet. Ever since he'd told his cousin what the men of their tribe had been saying about the Northern Dragon- Master, and Chief of Berk; and they'd prepared and sent their latest report to the Commander of the Kraken Lords' hostage ships; he'd spent the night tossing in bed, and most of that day pacing. He'd managed to gulp down some bread, cheese, and water; but that had been that morning, and he hadn't eaten since. He had managed to drink _some_ strong beer, though – enough to settle his nerves, and maybe _a little_ extra.

At first, he thought it was his stomach growling. Then he saw a flicker of motion, out of the corner of one eye. He turned, and just about jumped out of his skin: There was a Terrible Terror, perched on the remains of the nearest catapult, flapping its wings to get his attention. Then, as if that wasn't enough, a voice spoke his mind. **'Finally… Now: look down, and pick up that scroll case that's been sitting by your right foot for the past minute and a half.'** Albert blinked, looked down, and saw the scroll case. He blinked again, glanced suspiciously at the flask he held in one hand; and turned back to look at the Terrible Terror. He hesitated for a moment, than bent and picked up the scroll case; straightened, and unsealed it; extracted the message, and read it through.  
By the time he'd finished, his eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline, and his eyes were as wide as they could get. He tossed his flask over the side rail; dropped the scroll case, and charged off, shouting for his cousin.

 _Two minutes later_ ,

Albert found his cousin, Abram Grimm, in his Captains' Quarters; where he and his advisors were listening to one of the lookouts. He entered just in time to hear one of them saying, "They just showed up out of nowhere; and landed on the deck of their lead- ship! Six Night- Furies, and a Deadly- Nadder; two of them, the Nadder and a Night- Fury, have _riders_! It's the Northern- Dragon Master; it has to be: they're about to attack!"

"No, they aren't." Albert said, moving forward. "This… uh, this just arrived; a Terrible Terror brought it to the forward deck." As he spoke, he handed Abram the scroll.

Silence fell, in the room, as Abram read the message; by the time he'd finished, his own eyebrows had vanished into his hairline – or rather: they would have, had it not begun to recede. "He wants to talk; to get information on the Kraken Lords': Names, temperaments, anything else of note…" He looked around at his advisors, "He'll be here in ten minutes." He frowned, and turned to Albert, "Just how long were you standing there, before you saw this Terrible Terror, anyways?"

"A minute and a half," Albert shifted. "At least… that's what the Terrible Terror said." The other occupants of the room turned to give him a strange look, "Look; I know how it sounds, but I swear: the Terrible Terror was talking to me!"

Abram and his advisors looked first at him, than at one another. Finally, Abram said, "We should get on deck; he'll be here in a few minutes."

 _Six minutes later; on the lead Shivering Shores' leading boat,_

Hiccup was about to clamber onto Toothless's saddle, when one of the Shivering Shores' lookouts hurried up to Tyrek. His tone carrying a hint of uncertainty, he said, "Sir, several more men just appeared on the deck of their lead ship; some are carrying barrels, others chairs!"

Hiccup grinned, "Sounds like they've got so much to say, they think we might get tired of standing before we're done!" He settled into Toothless's saddle, and pulled his Night- Fury helmet over his head: No harm in being cautious, or in making a 'grand- entrance'. "Let's go, bud!" Toothless spread his wings, and rose into the sky; joined by two of the six Night- Furies who'd come with them.

 _A minute later,_

Toothless landed on the deck of the lead southern ship, and Hiccup leapt down from his back. Once his feet hit the deck, he reached up; and removed his helmet, holding it under one arm. Gesturing to the two Night- Furies, who continued to circle overhead, Hiccup said, "My friends will tell me if any other ships approach; we can speak openly."

For a moment, nobody spoke; the men from the south simply stood, staring at Hiccup and Toothless in awe – mostly at Toothless. The black dragon smirked, **'I'd forgotten how much I liked being the subject of such** _ **awed**_ **attention!'**

One of the men tripped, and almost fell, "It _can_ talk!"

Toothless snorted, **'** _ **He**_ **can talk, if you don't mind; and yes, why shouldn't I be able to?'**

"No reason, I suppose," the nearest man commented. He cleared his throat, and turned to Hiccup, "I am Abram Grimm, I was… I _am_ Chief of my tribe." He was silent for a moment, than continued, "I understand you want information on the Kraken Lords; not to be rude, but we'd best get on with it: there's a great deal to say, and there's no telling when one of those blasted talking- birds of theirs might show up with new orders."

Hiccup considered the man before him; he was a half a head taller than Hiccup; well muscled, with reddish- black hair and an unkempt beard of the same color. His garb was simple, and worn; as though he'd fallen on 'hard times', as he and his tribe undeniably had. Hiccup nodded in agreement, and settled into a chair, opposite the southern- chieftain.

 _Fifty- four minutes later,_

Almost an hour after he'd arrived, Hiccup rose to his feet; he had the information he'd come for; the information he'd hoped for; and a number of other 'intriguing' facts he hadn't expected, but was sure would come in useful at some point.  
As he rose, Abram said, "The northern- hostages they've taken will be a problem for you, since you've already held your council; they'll know whatever it is you're planning to do."

Hiccup chuckled, "Not so, actually… You see: I figured out the truth about the Kraken- banners the evening after the first attack; and dispatched Night- Fury patrols to the other villages to monitor for abduction attempts, that very night. When the council convened, and Chief Thommen learned his family was safe, on Berk…" Hiccup shrugged, " _I chose_ these locations for initial battles _because_ they would serve as ideal reference points, and Thommen kindly passed the information along… It's all unfolding as planned." He slid his helm back onto his head, and clambered back onto Toothless's saddle, "The information you've given me will be put to excellent use, I promise you; I'll send word once we've secured the hostage ships… Until next time, _Chief_ Abram."  
The black dragon spread his wings; and rider and dragon rose into the sky. The other two Night- Furies, who'd been circling overhead, rejoined them, and the three of them arched back towards the Northern' fleet.

For several minutes, the deck of Chief Abram's ship was as silent as a tomb; save for the lapping of waves, against the side of the boat. That Abram blinked and shook his head, "It's happening… Gods be good: It's really happening; Lord Bane's been outfoxed! The Kraken's all-but-dying, right in front of us!"

 **Part Three – Revelations**

 _An hour after noon; the Great Hall of Berk,_

They arrived back on Berk to find the first few villagers beginning to leave the Great Hall, having eaten lunch. The moment they saw Toothless, Stormfly, and the other Night- Furies coming in for a landing, they turned around, and hurried back in.  
The result: Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid and Stormfly walked into a packed but unnaturally quiet great- hall; everyone eagerly waiting to hear about their latest adventure. The level of suspense increased when they saw Hiccup's face: his eyes glittered, and his expression was one of quiet, but visible, triumph.

Valka took one look at her son's face, raised an eyebrow, "I take it your trip was worthwhile?"

Hiccup chuckled, "'Worthwhile' is an understatement: I have everything I was hoping for, and more besides."

Fishlegs shifted, nervously, "So… _do they_ have a master- strategist?"

"Most of their tactical decisions seem to go through a 'Lord Bane'; a third- generation member of the Kraken Council, and the grandson of the lord who first developed their 'conquest method', towards the end of his life." Hiccup shrugged, "He's not much of an 'original thinker' from what I hear; he just keeps reusing his grandfather's method, and tweaks the numbers of how many ships to send, and where to send them."  
He turned to where Leanne, Lara, and Thom sat, "Apparently: the 'High- Kraken' – a 'Lord Malchior', sent him and ten ships to the peninsula where the three of you were taken; with orders to track you down, than to retrieve Chief Thommen's report… He had the better part of a day to analyze that report, on his way back to rendezvous with his fellow 'lords', and the best he could do was send subjugated- forces to the locations I'd chosen."

Lara grinned, "Which was exactly what you wanted him to do! So… it's working?"

Hiccup's expression turned thoughtful, "My initial plan is on track, though the direct report to the Kraken's Council of dragons on the front- line does change things, slightly…"

Astrid frowned, "How so? You said they'd find out anyways."

Hiccup nodded, "So they would, and I was expecting them to; we just need to accelerate the 'home- front' timeline, a little…" He turned to the Night- Furies, "Would you ask you kin to prepare for a 'scenario- three', for me?"

The nearest Night- Fury frowned, **'Scenario- three? You think they'd dare launch a direct attack on Berk?'**

"I think,' Hiccup said, his tone calm, "that the appearance of dragons on the front line 'might' lead them to believe that our position here is weakened." He turned, to regard the Vikings and dragons assembled before him, "We must be ready to _prove_ , that that _is not_ the case!" Bellow, and roars, of approval, greeted his words; echoing in the hall.

 **Part Four – Deception Unearthed**

 _That morning, aboard the Kraken Lords' Warship;_

The Kraken Lords and their men were just finishing their breakfasts, and the serving girls were beginning to clear away the dishes, when yet another messenger rushed into the hall. As seemed to be becoming the norm, the man was pale and stumbled, as he hurried towards the high table. He came to a stop, panting; and, produced a scroll. "My… My lords: A report has just been forwarded to us, from the One- Time- Chief; Abram Grimm!"

Across the room, and unnoticed, two of the serving girls, Arianna and Tanya, exchanged a look; each asking the same silent question: ' _Why would a letter from Father be forwarded to the Kraken Lords?_ '

The messenger continued, "H–He writes that their force had been pinned- down; that _dragons_ have reinforced the northerners' forward lines! They've yet to actually attack, but–"

" _WHAT_?" boomed High- Lord Malchior, " _There weren't supposed to be dragons for at least two more days_!"

At the far end of the table, Lord Bane cursed aloud; all noise in the room faded to silence, and all eyes turned to him. Lord Bane's attention was fixed on a scroll, and his eyes had gone wide. He swore a second time, and a third.

"Lord Bane; explain!" High- Lord Malchior ordered. "What is the meaning of this?"

Lord Bane rose to his feet, "My Lord: The Chief of Berk, The Dragon- Master; He must've _suspected_ their council was compromised: he's used it to lay a false- trail… Berk has _already deployed_ : The Dragon Master _is in- play_! … We–We've been tricked!"

For a long minute, nobody spoke: the serving girls; the men at the tables, and the Kraken Lords sat or stood where they were, their mouths hanging open. Then High- Lord Malchior cleared his throat, "What do you suggest?"

Lord Bane's eyes flicked over the report he held; than he crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into a corner. He breathed an irritated sigh, "There's nothing more of use in that; as to our response…" He fell silent again, and remained so for several minutes; pacing back and forth before the high- table, visibly agitated.  
Finally, he said, "We must take precautions: I say we double the guard on the hostage- ships, and," he turned to the High- Lord, "give me fifty ships; let me take the fight to Berk! If he has sent dragons to each of those locations, Berk should be weakened until he can summon reinforcements… this may be the only chance we'll have!"

Lord Malcolm's eyes had gone wide, "Double the guard on the hostage- ships; but why? He can't possibly know about…"

Lord Bane turned on him, " _You ignorant moron:_ _We. Do. Not. Know. What. He. Is. Capable. Of. … We. Do. Not. Know. What. He. Is. Doing … And. We. Do. Not. Know. What. He. Knows_!" He turned to the High- Lord, and took a deep breath, struggling to regain his composure. "My Lord; we need to _act_ , and we need to act _now_!"

No one spoke for almost a full two minutes; as the listeners struggled to process what they had seen, and heard. Lord Bane; normally so calm, controlled, and focused; had just had a meltdown, right in front of them!

High- Lord Malchior was the first to recover from his shock, and he nodded. "Go, prepare the fifty ships; but bring Lord Malik with you; you will share the command. If the battle goes against you, you will gather as many ships as you can; and fall back, with your knowledge of this … Hiccup's command- style. Am I understood?"

Lord Bane took a deep breath; and nodded, "Yes, My Lord." He whirled around, and swept out of the room, Lord Malik hurrying to catch up.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine – War of The Kraken: The** _ **Siege**_ **of Berk**

 **Part One – Preparations**

 _The Kraken Lords' Warship, a few hours later;_

A few hours after Lords Bane and Malik had left, a messenger hurried into the hall. On reaching the high table, he bowed and began, "Lords Bane and Malik's ships are ready to sail. Lord Bane also requests that Grimm's daughters be transferred to his ship. If Berks' Chief _does_ know about the hostages, he may be trying to locate the boats and free them… Their deaths in _his_ territory should put an end to any plans he might have: he won't be able to risk endangering more lives in escape- attempts."  
In the corner where they stood, Arianna and Tanya exchanged frightened looks. The other serving girls wore similar expressions; but the Kraken Lords, and their men, grew animated at the news. Lord Malchior nodded, and gave the orders.

 _In the Great Hall of Berk, that evening_ ;

As the shouts and roars of approval faded to silence, the attention of the humans and dragons in the hall again returned to Hiccup. When the last of the noise faded to silence, Hiccup said, "The situation is delicate, however: the Krakens have made it clear that they are willing to use hostages as leverage; from there, it is only a small step to use them as shields." Silence settled over the hall, as the listeners processed the implications. A moment later, Hiccup continued, "Timing will be crucial, positioning essential, and the margin for error will be virtually non- existent."  
He waited a moment, for that to sink in. Than, in a low; clear voice, said, "This is what we're going to do…"

 **Part Two – The Dragon Master**

 _The following morning, Arianna_ ;

Arianna watched as the first sliver of sun edged above the horizon; marking the end of a night that had seemed to go on forever. The two of them were led aboard Lord Bane's boat the previous evening, just as the sun was beginning to set; the experience an unpleasant reminder of the day they'd been seized by the Kraken- Lords, four years earlier.  
The memory began to replay itself in her mind, but she pushed it away.

Aside from the hour and a half during which they slipped through one of the 'gaps' in the front lines; during which Lord Bane had two of his men hold daggers to their throats, to keep them quiet; they had been left pretty much to themselves. The two of them sat, huddled together, in the middle of the deck.  
She glanced over at her sister: At thirteen, a year and a half younger than she was; Tanya had the same reddish black hair as their father, while hers was a reddish blonde, reminiscent of their mother's. She was a few inches taller than Tanya, too, but aside from that they were much alike; same slender build, similar facial features…

Tanya seemed to sense her sister's gaze; and turned to face her, worry evident on her face. In the lowest possible whisper, she asked, "What's going to happen to us? … Are we really going to die here?"

Arianna, who'd been doing her best to look out for her little- sister, during their captivity, tried to say something encouraging; but she couldn't get the words out. Finally, she said, "I don't know… All we can do is pray." Her sister gave her a look; they'd been praying for four years; nothing came of it. She took a deep breath, and tried again, "Maybe they're…"  
Her voice drifted to silence, as something appeared in the distance; the very tops of something, rising out of the ocean ahead of then: an island; Berk.

From somewhere to their right, they heard Lord Malik shouting, "Drop anchor! We'll wait here, until the sun's risen fully!" An unknown number of voices took up the call; relaying the order to the other ships that made up their fleet.

 _A few hours before noon,_

Three hours had passed, since Lord Bane gave the order to raise the sails. In that time, the island of Berk had grown steadily larger, as they drew closer. Arianna and Tanya divided their time between staring at the island, and staring at the deck by their feet.

Then something changed: the kraken- warriors grew tense; Lords Bane and Malik moved to the prows of their respective boats, their attention fixed on something ahead of them. The two sisters looked up at the same time, and saw that a mere three miles lay between them and Berk; though the sky remained surprisingly free of dragons.

Then they saw what had caught the others' attention, and their jaws dropped: At the top of the nearest cliff, stood two figures: one human, one dragon. The human was clad entirely in black; the same color as the scales of the dragon next to him. Rider and Dragon were looking directly at the fleet, but they seemed entirely unconcerned by their impending arrival.  
Lord Malik called a halt, and what seemed a surprisingly long time; nobody moved, and nobody spoke.

Finally, Lord Bane raised his voice, " _WHAT GAME ARE YOU PLAYING, DRAGON- MASTER; ARE YOU A COWARD? … IS THAT WHY YOU HIDE ATOP YOUR CLIFF, INSTEAD OF MEETING US IN BATTLE?_ "

A low chuckle reached their ears, and the figure answered, " _IF YOU SEEK COWARDS, LOOK TO YOURSELVES; THE SO-CALLED WARRIORS, WHO HIDE BEHIND THE TRIBES THEY FEARED TO FACE OPENLY, AND EVEN NOW USE HOSTAGES TO CONTROL_!"

For a full minute, nobody spoke; everyone who heard was gaping up at the figure, wide-eyed. Than Lord Bane let out an outraged bellow, " _FACE ME! DEFEND YOUR INSULT, OR DIE FOR IT_!"

When the figure replied; all trace of amusement was gone from his voice, " _YOU WISH TO JOIN DRAGO, THEN? VERY WELL_!" The figure turned; and moved away from the cliff top, until he was almost out of view. Than he charged towards them: leaping off the cliff top, and plummeted towards the ground below!  
When he was halfway down the cliff, he did… _something_ , and a set of glider wings extended to either side! His fall slowed; stopped, and he drifted towards them. A minute later, he landed on the foredeck of Lord Bane's ship, and retracted the glider wings.

Hiccup; Chief of Berk, and Dragon Master; turned to face Lord Bane, and in a single smooth movement, he drew his sword. The Night- Fury helm hid his face from view, but his voice carried a hint of a grim smile, " _Well_?"

For a long moment, the silence went unbroken; Lord Bane, his men, Arianna, and Tanya remained where they were, gaping at the new arrival. Than Lord Bane found his voice, "Seize him!" After giving his order, Lord Bane fell back to stand at the stern, so as to observe what transpired from a safe distance.

With obvious reluctance, three of Lord Bane's men rushed the Chief of Berk, hefting their weapons; and bellowing a challenge.  
The first to reach him hefted a spear; moving almost too quickly for the eye to follow, Hiccup re-sheathed his sword; and caught the spear in his opposite hand, just below the base of the blade. Then he dropped to one knee, turning to the right, as he did: bearing the spear point to the deck; and holding the shaft steady. The result: the spear became the 'pole' in an unintended pole- vault; and the man who'd been holding it went flying over the side rail, shrieking in surprise. A moment later, he landed in the ocean with a ' _SPLASH!_ '  
The second man slashed at Hiccup with a sword; he sidestepped, grabbed the man by his sword arm; and threw him over the rail. A second ' _SPLASH_ ' sounded, a few seconds later.  
In the few seconds it took the third man to cross the remaining distance; Hiccup drew his black sword, 'Fury', and parried the strike. The man stumbled back; wide- eyed, as he beheld the gouge 'Fury' had left in the steel of his sword.  
Before the Kraken- warrior could recover, Hiccup's metal- encased fist connected with the side of his head; he staggered back a few steps, than crumpled to the deck. He'd live; but he'd have a nasty headache when he regained consciousness, and he _definitely_ wouldn't be rejoining _this_ fight.

This left twelve kraken- warriors; and Lord Bane, who stood at the stern of his ship. The twelve warriors spread out, so that each would have room to wield their weapons; and moved forwards. Four carried swords; another four hefted axes; three wielded bludgeons, and the last two leveled spears at their foe.  
Hiccup nodded, as though in approval, " _At last… A fight that might actually be worthy of my time_." He raised his black- sword into the ready position, and a column of blue flames swirled to life, around the blade. Then The Dragon- Master lunged.

Four minutes… That was how long it took Hiccup to 'subdue' his remaining opponents. Hiccup made a point of 'dispatching' the men wielding the bludgeons first, as they inflicted injury by the force of their impact. He snatched a bludgeon out of its owners' grasp, hurling it back at the man, a moment later. It caught the man in the chest; he fell, never to rise again.  
The other two men who wielded bludgeons were more fortunate: Hiccup merely disarmed them – the second metaphorically, the third literally; and threw both of them overboard.  
About two minutes into the fight, one man let out a triumphant bellow; and brought his axe down on Hiccup's shoulder. The blade bounced off as though it had struck a boulder. A split second later, Hiccup sliced through the haft of the man's axe; than he struck the man in the chest, open handed, with enough force to send him flying back into the ships' mast. The man staggered forward, a few steps, than fell to the deck, unconscious.  
Almost as quickly as it had begun, the flames that whirled around Hiccup's blade faded away, and he returned his sword to its sheath.

Lord Bane still stood at the stern of his ship, having watched the fight from his vantage point: his expression one of mounting disbelief. Meanwhile, Arianna and Tanya sat exactly where they'd been sitting since boarding the ship, as they struggled to process the sequence of events playing out around them.  
Another three minutes passed in silence; during which those of Lord Bane's men who'd been thrown overboard swam back to their boat. A few of the bolder ones clambered back on board; when Hiccup made no move against them, others did likewise.  
Though not one of them dared take so much as a step towards where Hiccup stood, on the forward deck, a mere eight feet from Arianna and Tanya.

Then there was a ripple of movement on the boats nearest to them; the Kraken- warriors, on those boats, had armed themselves with crossbows, now leveled at Hiccup's chest.

Hiccup glanced around, sighed; and, in an exasperated voice, said, " _Put those_ _toys_ _away, before you really annoy me_." Most of the warriors exchanged nervous glances, and lowered their crossbows; those on Lord Malik's boat did not.

Hiccup sighed, again, " _Have it your way_." He glanced at the mast of Lord Malik's boat; did a few quick mental calculations. Than he drew his sword, and hurled it at the ships' mast; the sword passed through the thick wooden beam as though it were empty air; and the wooden pillar toppled, pinning down the 'uncooperative' crossbowmen against the deck.  
Hiccup held out his right hand; and, a moment later, the hilt of the black sword settled back into his palm. He sheathed it, and turned to face the two sisters. In his usual relaxed, casual, and calming tone, he asked, " _You would be Arianna and Tanya, correct_?"

Arianna blinked, nodded, and said, "I'm Arianna," she gestured to her sister, "this is my sister. How … How do you…?"

Hiccup lifted the faceplate of his helm; "I had a word with your father, yesterday… One of his men figured out I was tracking their messenger- birds; and checked in early, to point us in the right direction." He shrugged, "It got my attention, so I decided to pay him a visit; see if he had anything else he wanted to share… He was most informative."

Lord Bane's face had turned the color of snow, "Y–You've been _tracking_ the messenger- birds?"

"Yes, but that's just the tip of the iceberg: Haven't you been wondering what happened to those ' _hostages_ ' Lord Blackthorn took?" Hiccup gestured at the island behind him, "They're here, and have been since a full week before we held our council; I'll let you work out the implications of that on your own time." He turned to Arianna and Tanya, whose expressions were a mixture of awe and disbelief, "I promised your father I'd inform him when the hostage- ships were secured; but I think he'd prefer a letter from you, to be honest." A shadow appeared, above them; and a moment later, Toothless set down next to him.

' **Perhaps we could get a move on; the others are getting…** _ **restive**_ **,'** as he spoke Toothless tilted his head towards the Berk.

Lord Bane's eyes widened. " _'Others_ '… This was a trap!"

"That _is_ the _technical_ term for it, yes." The corners of Hiccup's lips twitched in a brief smile, than he turned to Toothless. "You're right; _how selfish of me_ …" He raised his head to the heavens, and _roared_.

 **Part Three – Rise of The Dragons**

Even as the echoes of Hiccup's roar faded to silence, an untold number of roars sounded from above, and further inland; than the dragons rose into view; some with riders, but many more without.  
The dragons moved to join the fight, and there were _hundreds_ of them. In fact: they outnumbered the enemy to such a degree; the scattering and, ultimately defeating, of the force led by Lord Bane and Lord Malik swiftly became more 'sport' than 'battle'.

A wave of Monstrous- Nightmares boiled over the cliffs of Berk, followed immediately by a wave of Deadly- Nadders; the Monstrous- Nightmares erupted into flames, which ignited the spikes the Deadly- Nadders launched… An instant later, the ten ships that formed the leading edge of the Kraken Fleet were on fire. Their crews began running around in a panic, attempting to extinguish fires; but, for every one they extinguished, two more were ignited.  
The Krakens' attempts to 'fight' became increasingly comical, the longer the battle went on; and the longer it went on, the more fun the dragons – and their riders, in the cases of those that had riders, seemed to have.

A few minutes after the 'fight' began, two more Night- Furies landed next to Toothless. Turning to Arianna and Tanya, Hiccup explained that the two black dragons would carry them the rest of the way to Berk. Once they were settled, albeit nervously, on the Night- Furies' backs, the three black dragons rose into the air.

As they rose into the sky, Astrid and Stormfly appeared next to them; Hiccup quickly made the introductions, than promised the new- arrivals that they'd talk more, later. Toothless's clan- mates angled towards the village of Berk, to drop off their passengers; while Toothless, Stormfly, and their riders turned to join the 'fun'.

 _A short time later_ ,

Thirty minutes into the ' _fight_ ', Hiccup noticed that six boats; including Lord Bane's, were beginning to fall back. He frowned, and signaled to a group of un-partnered- dragons. Once the dragons had gathered around them, Hiccup pointed out the boats, and said, "I need you to slow them down; cause enough damage to the boats that they'll need to stop to make repairs, but not so much that they'll suspect that we're letting them leave."

One of the dragons frowned, **'And** _ **why are we**_ **letting them leave, exactly?'**

Hiccup managed a grim smile, "We've been tracking the messenger- birds to the Kraken Lords' _hostage- ships_ ; we'll need _Lord Bane_ to lead us to their _command- ship_ … _that's_ where we'll find _the rest_ of these 'kraken- lords'. We can't let them get back _too soon_ , though; you know why."  
The dragons gave short nods of acknowledgement, and shot after Lord Bane's boats.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten – War of The Kraken: The Chief of Berk**

 **Part One – The Pride of Berk**

 _Several hours later,_

When Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid and Stormfly returned to the cliff top where Hiccup and Toothless had waited for the Kraken Fleet; they found Arianna and Tanya waiting for them, standing right where the two Night- Furies had dropped them off. Hiccup and Astrid had dismounted, and came over to join the sisters.

Tanya hesitated for a moment, than asked, "What… What's going to happens to us now?"

Hiccup removed his helmet, and set it down on Toothless's saddle. He smiled, reassuringly, "First of all: I think we could all do with something to eat; it's about time for lunch. After that," he shrugged, "I'm sure you've got questions, and the two of you may know something that can help us retrieve the rest of the Krakens' hostages."

A shadow fell over them, then; and they looked up to see a Night- Fury swooping towards them, carrying a struggling Lord Malik. When the black dragon was within hearing distance, Hiccup called, "Ah, good… How many do we have, now?"

' **Twenty-five; not counting this one,'** the Night- Fury answered. **'The rest have gone to their gods, if any gods will take the sort of scum who'd work with Drago Bludvist.'**

Hiccup nodded, "I suppose that's just as well… Where are the others?"

The Night- Fury landed in front of them, though he kept a firm grip on his captive. **'We're gathering them near the jail; Gobber, Eret, and a few others are relieving them of their weapons, and other equipment… they won't be needing it, anymore.'** He paused for a moment, **'What should be done with this one?'**

Hiccup considered for a moment before he replied, "Put him with the others, for now; I'll send for him when we're ready." The dragon nodded an acknowledgement, than rose back into the sky.

Astrid clapped Hiccup on the shoulder, and gave him a quick kiss, "Another win for Berk!"

Hiccup nodded, and turned back to Arianna and Tanya, "Originally; I planned to locate the hostage- ships, than bring the hostages here, with an offer of safe- sanctuary. The letters would've been the most efficient way, to get word of the change- of- circumstances out to the southern chiefs." Hiccup was silent for a moment before he continued, "The letter is still an option, of course; or I can arrange for a Night- Fury to fly you to his ship, after nightfall… I understand it's been four years since you were seized; that's too–"

Astrid, who'd been keeping pace with them as they walked, came to an abrupt halt. " _Four years; are you kidding me_?"

Arianna nodded, "It felt like forever … every night, we'd have to serve supper to the lords, and their men, in their hall; and clear away the dishes, afterwards. We'd pray for freedom, all of us; but instead, every so often, they'd bring more hostages to their main stronghold…" She looked first at Hiccup, than Astrid; "Is this… real; are we really … really free?"

Before Hiccup could answer, Cloudjumper landed; a short distance away, and Valka slid down from his back. They came to join them; Valka's expression much as it had been, after Hiccup had relayed his plan to the Northern Chiefs. She pulled her son into a hug, "You've done it again, Hiccup; every time I think I couldn't be any prouder… and your father…"  
When she pulled back, a few moments later, Hiccup introduced her to the new arrivals; Arianna, and Tanya.

Valka's expression became serious, "The Kraken Lords have much to answer for, but believe me: they _will_ answer for it… My son never leaves a job half- done!" She clapped Hiccup on the shoulder, as she spoke.

Hiccup smiled, a little self- consciously, and nodded. "We were just on our way up to the Great Hall; figured we could all use some food."

At the word 'food', Tanya's stomach growled. Tanya smiled shyly; and, in a soft voice, said "Food _does_ sound _really_ good."

 _Five minutes later; in the Great Hall of Berk_ ,

By the time they arrived in the Great Hall; the tables were packed, and the hall echoed with the sounds of laughter, and conversation. As their group entered the hall, making their way toward the table at its head, cheers and bellows of greeting and approval sounded from all sides. Hiccup took his customary place, in the middle of the head table, and Astrid sat to his immediate right. Valka sat to Hiccup's left; Arianna and Tanya took the last two seats on that side.

The meal itself was uneventful; Hiccup gave Arianna and Tanya a general outline of his plan, detailing the different stages.  
When he finished, Arianna and Tanya took turns speaking; telling Hiccup, Astrid, and Valka everything they thought was, or even could be, of use to them. It was hard, at first; but it seemed to grow visibly easier, as the awareness that they were finally free began to sink in.

 **Part Two – Alpha of The North**

 _Forty five minutes later_ ,

As the meal was drawing to a close, Hiccup asked Gobber, and a few other men, to bring Lord Malik to the Great Hall. Once the words left his mouth, the mood in the hall became more serious: triumphant, but serious.

The moment he saw Hiccup, seated at the head- table; Lord Malik scowled, "I bet you think you're so high-and-mighty, don't you…" He spat in Hiccup's direction; "You're no better than we are… You've got power, and the moment you had a chance, you took hostages!"

Angry mutters filled the hall. Hiccup simply raised an eyebrow; and the corner of his lip twitched. " _'High and mighty_ '? You shouldn't talk; you 'kraken- lords' are so blinded by your pride and arrogance, _two of you_ had to come _all the way to Berk_ before you realized that you're _losing_ this war." The hall filled with howls of laughter. Arianna and Tanya first reacted with shock; but even they were chuckling, a moment later.  
When the hall again grew quiet, Hiccup continued, "And, for the record: You _aren't_ a ' _hostage'_ , nor are those who were taken with you; you are ' _captives_ '… There is a difference."

Lord Malik snorted, "You think giving it another name changes anything?"

"' _Captives_ ' are a reality of war," Hiccup said coolly. "When you defeat an enemy, you kill them, _capture_ them, or let them flee; A ' _hostage_ ', has done nothing to _deserve_ being seized; taken as a means to exert 'influence' over the group to which they belong."  
Lord Malik made to speak; Hiccup held up a hand, silencing him. "You may think otherwise, but we are _on Berk_ , now… _My family_ has ruled this island for _generations_ ," Hiccup gestured towards the rows of portraits hanging on the wall: each depicting a previous chieftain, and his son. "Your opinions carry _no weight_ here, _lord_ Malik; and, with your forces so far south, any threats or insults that may occur to you _mean nothing_."  
After a brief pause; Hiccup continued, "Save for an attack that did little more than _amuse_ the local dragon population, for a few hours; none of the crimes you've committed have been _against Berk_. Therefore I, personally, have no grounds to have you executed. That being said: I know, for a fact, that you Kraken Lords have been backing Drago Bludvist; who has inflicted a _great deal_ of harm to _all_ the tribes of the Archipelagos."

Lord Malik's eyes had gone wide, "Dra-Dra-Drago was not a full- member of our council, though! He… he was only an applicant! He…"

" _Did what he did to buy his way into your little … conquerors' club; to pay the … the membership- fee_!" Hiccup's voice had turned cold as it had during his meeting with Emric. Shocked silence fell over the hall, as the reason for his anger became clear to them.  
Hiccup heard his mother gasp; glancing out the corner of his eye, he saw that she had a hand over her mouth, and her eyes were glistening. "You claim Drago acted on his own, then; that you Kraken Lords knew nothing of, and take no responsibility for, his actions… Is that it?"

Lord Malik nodded vigorously, "He was supposed to _subjugate_ tribes; to bring them under our control: prove his worth! W–We didn't know he… he'd…" Hiccup raised a hand, and Malik stuttered to a stop.

"If you're going to lie, at least _try_ do a better job of it." Hiccup said, his voice soft; the way it got when he was truly angry. "Emric said you 'kraken lords' were the rulersof a southern 'empire'; and that you knew of me ' _by reputation_ ', from _survivors_ who'd followed Drago."

Lord Malik took a deep breath; visibly struggling to regain his composure, "You already know we equipped him; and of course our men reported back to us! How is that relevant?"

Hiccup almost smiled, "I recently had a conversation with one of the southern- chiefs you 'lords' brought north; he had quite a lot to say, too. For instance: that you have a fleet of _two- hundred_ ships between your _two_ hostage ships, and your … ' _forward line_ '."  
He leaned forward, "When the Night- Furies moved against Drago's fleet, they didn't just blast randomly; they kept count: one- hundred ninety five, including those that fled south ... Do you _honestly_ expect me to believe you ' _lords_ ' would give Drago, a ' _mere applicant_ ', that many ships; then come north yourselves, _sharing_ a ' _mere_ ' two- hundred _between you_?"

Lord Malik became visibly uneasy, "I… I… I don't know what you're talking about! This… this is nonsense! What–"

This time; Hiccup did smile, "You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about; but, you clearly aren't about to say it, so I will: Each of you 'kraken- lords' has your own fleet, and each of you gave a portion of it to Drago; then, doubtless, began to build their replacements. The important question is: ' _how many_ '."

Lord Malik sneered, "If you think I'll tell–"

"I _never asked you_ ; Malik, and I don't need to." Hiccup said, calmly. "It would've been a small portion, so Drago wouldn't think he had ' _too much_ ' pull; a tenth, perhaps … A hundred ninety- five split thirteen ways is fifteen; if _it is_ a tenth, each fleet would total a hundred fifty ships; for a grand- total of nineteen hundred and fifty." He tapped a finger on the table. "And, of course, we need to account for _High- Lord Malchior_ 's vanity, don't we; another fifty ships, perhaps, for an even two- thousand." He raised an eyebrow, "Am I thinking along the right lines, ' _lord_ ' Malik?"

Lord Malik's face, already the color of snow, acquired a greyish tinge. "How… How could you possibly…?" His question went unfinished, and the silence in the hall became absolute.

Finally, Astrid found her voice, "Hiccup… Hiccup; are you sure about this? If you're right…"

"Astrid," Hiccup turned to her; holding her gaze for a moment, though he said nothing.

A moment later, Astrid seemed to relax; took a deep breath, and exhaled. "You're sure about this?"

Hiccup gave her a reassuring smile; than turned to address the crowded hall, "Everything _is_ under control… The wild- dragons of the Archipelagos, and the far- reaches, have been mobilizing for days, now: they, and _their Alpha_ , are with us."

" _Their… their Alpha_?" Malik's voice was barely more than a whisper, but the hall was so quiet that everyone heard him. "But… but Drago's Challenger _killed_ the Northern Alpha!"

Hiccup sighed, "Drago's Challenger slew the White Sentinel; who had been The Northern Alpha: the dragons' greatest protector, for centuries; and for a brief time, Drago's Challenger held undisputed control of all Northern- Dragons… Yes. But, when Drago attacked Berk, _his Challenger was overthrown_ , and _another dragon_ claimed the title."

' **Yes…'** Toothless said; rising, and moving to Hiccup's side. **'** _ **I**_ **am** _ **The Alpha**_ **, now** _ **.**_ **'** He raised his head, and _roared_ ; and every dragon in the Great Hall of Berk, answered with roars of their own.

Malik's eyes rested on Toothless for a moment, than returned to Hiccup. "Y–You shouldn't even be alive, now … I _saw_ that axe hit you in the shoulder! It should've… you shouldn't…"

Hiccup smiled, "There's a lot more to this armor than meets the eye: Its origins are unique; there is nothing like it in the world, nor will there be."

 **Part Three – Secrets of the Dragon Armor**

For a full minute, there was silence in the hall. Finally, Lord Malik asked, "' _Unique_ ' how?"

"Deep beneath the caverns of the Night- Furies' ancestral home, there is a pool of molten magma. For near six hundred years; when a Night- Fury sensed his, or her, life was nearing its end; they would plunge into this pool: A ritualistic end, 'Returning To The fire'." Hiccup paused; to let that register, "As Night- Furies grow, their scales thicken into a sort of armor; once fully- grown, swords _and axes_ barely scratch them … Over the centuries, the scales of generations of Night- Furies mixed with the elements of the earth: forming an ore, unlike any other. Soon after their colony moved to Berk, one of their Elders gave it to me; asking me to 'honor the memories of their ancestors, and make their armor my own'."  
A brief pause; then, in a softer voice; he continued, "I hadn't intended to forge a sword, to be honest: just the armor; but the process required me to enter a deep, trance- like state… When I came out of it, there it was!"

Lord Malik eyes were bulging, again; and he seemed unable to find his voice.

Hiccup's expression became thoughtful. "I cannot explain how it happened, but a portion of the consciousness of those Night- Furies also resided within the ore. That portion, now resides within the armor and sword, themselves."

Lord Malik was so surprised; he seemed to forget his 'unease'. He snorted, "Oh, come on… You're making things up, now!"

Hiccup made to speak, but before he could, another voice said ' _UNACCEPTABLE_!' Tendrils of shadow shot into the air emerging from Hiccup's armor; forming into the shadowy likenesses of a dozen Night- Furies.  
' _ARE WE REAL ENOUGH FOR YOU_ _NOW_ _, KRAKEN- LORD?_ ' murmured one shadowy Night- Fury, as it padded towards Lord Malik on clawed feet that had no substance.

' _WE ENTERED THE MAGMA WHILE WE LIVED, YES,_ ' whispered another. ' _BUT WE WOULD ONLY HAVE LIVED A FEW MINUTES MORE, AT MOST, IN ANY CASE._ '

' _SINCE THEN; WE HAVE, AND WILL, DONE MORE GOOD FOR THOSE NOW LIVING THAN WE COULD HAVE, EVEN IF WE COMBINED ALL OF OUR FINAL MOMENTS, AND GAVE THEM ALL TO ANY ONE OF OUR KIND._ '

' _WE SERVE AT THE SIDE OF THE PEACE-MAKER, AS HE STRIVES TO CREATE A NEW WORLD; BETTER, EVEN THAN THAT IN WHICH WE LIVED…_ ' added a fourth. ' _WHO COULD ASK FOR MORE THAN THAT, AT THE END OF A LIFE WELL-LIVED_?'

The fifth might have smiled, ' _HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR YOUR CRIMES, I MIGHT HAVE PITTIED YOU; IT WILL BE A BETTER WORLD: PEACEFUL, DRAGONS AND HUMANS LIVING SIDE BY SIDE… ALL ENMITY FORGOTTEN; AS THOSE WHO'VE YET TO LEARN FIRST PROVE THEY CAN BE TRUSTED NOT TO ABUSE THE KNOWLEDGE, AND ARE THAN ENTRUSTED WITH IT._ '

Then the shadowy dragons spoke as one: ' _IT WILL BE A BETTER WORLD; BUT YOU, MALIK, WILL NOT LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE "THE DREAM OF THOUSANDS" BROUGHT TO LIFE … YOUR DOOM IS ALL BUT UPON YOU_!' Than the shadowy dragons dissolved back into thin streams of shadow, and melded back into Hiccup's sword, and armor.  
A moment later, they were gone, with no sign that they had ever been there.

As the last shadow vanished into his armor, Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "As unexpected as that was," he considered Malik's expression, "I suppose it makes my point: I'm not making things up, Malik; there're forces at work that you can't begin to comprehend."

 **Part Four – For Freedom**

A moment later, a Terrible- Terror shot through the doors of the Great Hall; closely followed by a second, and a third. Each shot down the hall, deposited the scroll cases on the table; next to Hiccup's bowl, and flew off to find perches.

Hiccup picked up each scroll, in turn: unrolling it, and examining their contents. A moment later, he smiled. "These are the last of the reference points: I now have everything I need to locate the hostage ships… By tomorrow morning, my scouts should have tracked Lord Bane to wherever the Kraken Lords have relocated their command ship to; they will have relocated it, by now; but surely a _Kraken Lord_ would know where to go."  
To the hall, at large, Hiccup said, "So close… We are so close, now! You heard them," he gestured to where the shadowy Night- Furies had stood, "'a better world'; 'dragons and humans, side by side'… It is the future; our future, unless we let _them_ ," he gestured at Malik, dismissively, "take it from us. I won't let that happen; _we_ won't let that happen…"  
Hiccup looked around the hall, and his voice hardened, "Those who have yet to lose their freedom, _will not lose it_ ; and those who have, _will have it back_."

The bellows, and roars, of approval reverberated through the hall; and everyone, save for ' _lord_ ' Malik, was shouting.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven – War of The Kraken: North and South**

 **Part One – "A Few Tweaks"**

 _The Great Hall of Berk,_

Even after the shouts and roaring stopped, it took almost a minute for the echoes to fade enough for it to be worth trying to speak. By the time they had, all eyes had again returned to Hiccup.  
When he did, Hiccup's voice was calm, level, and casual. Directing his words at Gobber, Eret, and the others who'd escorted 'Lord' Malik into the hall, he said, "Bring the ' _one- time- lord_ ' Malik back to his cell, if you would." He turned face Malik, he added, "Our Council of Chiefs is set to reconvene, tomorrow afternoon; when we do…"

" _I am not_ _of_ _The North_ , though!" Malik interrupted, "I – _We_ – are of _The South_ ; from _beyond the reach_ of your council, and your judgment!"  
The hall fell deathly quiet. It was true: The authority of the Northern Chiefs ended at the limits of their boarders.

Hiccup chuckled, "True, but that will not be enough to save you … I mean to bring the matter before the other Chiefs, when our council reconvenes. If they agree, and I believe they will, you; and any other Kraken- Lords we seize; will be given into the custody of the _Southern Tribes_ , _after_ their _Chieftains_ have regained their autonomy, that is. All, that is, but the 'lord' who committed an offence we cannot ignore, and one that we _can_ judge… That is to say: ' _lord_ ' Blackthorn."

As one, the occupants of the Great Hall breathed a sigh of relief; once again, Hiccup had the answer. Emric's eyes bulged; his lips moved, but he seemed unable to form words.  
Hiccup nodded to Gobber. The smith nodded an acknowledgment; grabbed Malik, roughly, by a shoulder; and marched him out of the Great Hall. Eret, Skullcrusher, and Grump following close behind.

Hiccup looked first at Astrid, and than at Valka; in the eyes of both women, he saw a fierce, fiery kind of pride. Neither spoke, though.  
A full minute passed in silence; than Hiccup gathered the newly- delivered scrolls, and got to his feet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have ' _important business'_ to attend to. This," he held up the scrolls, "shouldn't take long. In the meantime: I want continuous boarder- patrols, and a full aerial- search along our beaches – everything between our shores, and boarders … The Krakens used their attack on the Shivering Shores to cover an additional force before, and I don't want _any_ surprises here. Anyone fit for combat, and isn _'t_ on patrol; assume you'll be joining the front lines unless, and until, you hear otherwise. It's time we finished this."

Turning to those seated with him at the high- table, he lowered his voice and said, "I'll meet you back here, once I've finished with these." Astrid and Valka nodded acknowledgements, and Hiccup made his way out of the hall; bound for his study, where the other reference- point reports awaited him.

 _An hour later,_

Two hours later, Hiccup and Toothless reentered the Great Hall. They found Astrid, Valka, Lara, Leanne, Thom, Arianna and Tanya sat together at a table, about halfway between the entrance, and the head table. A short distance away, Stormfly, Cloudjumper and Summer had settled down. Though all of them, Hiccup could tell, were active participants of the conversation.

Astrid saw him almost immediately, and shot to her feet. "You've got it!"

Hiccup nodded, holding up a scroll, as he moved to join them. "It only took a few minutes, but I got to thinking." He turned to Arianna and Tanya; "You said that there were other hostages with you, on the Kraken Lords' Command Ship."

It wasn't a question, but Arianna nodded. "There were nine, including us; seven, now."

"Is that a problem?" Astrid asked, hesitantly, returning to her place on the bench, as she spoke.

Hiccup shook his head; set his scroll down on the table, and sat next to Astrid. "No; I just needed to 'make a few tweaks' to my plan, but nothing major." As he spoke, Hiccup produced a few sheets of parchment from his satchel; and, looking first at Arianna, and than Tanya, he said, "Could one of you sketch out the layout of their command- ship? – It doesn't need to be perfect; just complete."

Arianna nodded, took the quill Hiccup offered; and, for the next three minutes, sketched out a rough outline of each of the command- ships' two lower levels. As she drew, she described the different sections; as she worked, Hiccup asked a few questions. When she was finished; he sat in silence, for a few minutes; considering the diagrams.  
Finally, Hiccup nodded, "These will do nicely; thank you."

Leanne hesitated for a moment, than asked, "How exactly do you plan to seize the ships, though? Sending us a message directing us to a rendezvous point was one thing; this…" Her sentence drifted to silence, and she shook her head.

Hiccup smiled, and turned to Astrid, "You remember Whiplash, right?"

Astrid's mouth fell open, "Oh, Gods; you _didn't_!" She laughed, "They won't know what hit them!"

Lara frowned, "Uh… Who's 'Whiplash'?"

Astrid turned to her, grinning widely, "Hiccup told you about the Dragon- Eye, and our Outpost in the far- reaches, right?" Lara nodded, but didn't speak.

Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a look; than Hiccup said, "Whiplash is a young Speed- Stinger we met; about a year and a half ago, now… His leg was badly sprained, and he'd been separated from his pack." Hiccup shrugged, "It's a long story; but we brought him back to our outpost, and got his leg into a splint … It's amazing how quickly the bone healed: three days later, the splint was off and he was good as new! Long story short: he vouched for us, when we met the rest of his pack, and we've been on good- terms ever since."

Leanne hesitated, "Wouldn't they want something in return, though; if they're coming all the way here?"

Hiccup nodded, "All of that has already been settled: Once they've immobilized the crews of the hostage- ships, they will … shall we say: ' _liberate_ ' the edible contents of Kraken Lords' galleys and holds." He turned to Tanya, "The Kraken- Lords _are_ the sort to keep a ' _luxurious_ ' meal- plan, yes?"

Tanya raised an eyebrow; "Well, _yes_ ; but … you're planning to _transport_ _a pack of Speed- Stingers_ to the hostage ships?"

Hiccup's smile widened, and he shook his head. "Don't need to! See: this _particular_ pack of Speed- Stingers is unique; the only ones of their kind we've ever encountered, and the first actual proof we've seen of dragon- evolution… They have sturdy flaps of skin connecting each of their toes; they can, _literally_ , run on water."

Before anyone could say more, the doors of the Great Hall were pushed open, and a dark- haired girl entered the hall; tall, slim, beautiful. She was followed by a dragon that; at first glance, appeared to be wearing armor.  
Hiccup and Astrid got to their feet; Hiccup said, "Heather; Windshear … It's been too long!"

Heather smiled, "Yeah, it has… Speaking of which: Did we miss a battle?"

Astrid, who was grinning from ear to ear, shrugged; "Yeah, but you're just in time for the war!"

Heather raised an eyebrow, "Well, _that's a relief_ … Missing a battle, I can take; missing an entire war?" She shook her head, "I'd never live that down!" She turned to her dragon, "So… Windshear; what do you think of Berk, so far?"

' **It's incredible; everything you said it was!'** Windshear commented. **'I half- thought you might've been exaggerating, but…'** The Razorwhip shook her head, awed.

"Come, join us," Hiccup said, gesturing towards the table where the others still sat. "We've got a lot of catching up to do; and there're introductions to make..."

 **Part Two – Messengers**

 _Two hours before midnight,_ _on Abram Grimm's boat_ ;

After tossing and turning for what felt like half the night, Abram Grimm finally felt himself beginning to drift off to sleep. Than someone began pounding on the door of his cabin.  
Grumbling, he clambered out of bed, "I swear, if it's–" the rest of his sentence was inaudible.

When he opened the door; he found his cousin, Albert waiting for him. Before Abram could say a word, Albert said, "Your daughters are on deck; they're–"  
Abram didn't wait to hear the rest of the sentence. He stopped just long enough to dress to the point of decency, than charged through the door, racing to the top deck.

There they were: Arianna and Tanya… _his daughters_ ; girls had been taken, now two young- women stood before him. For a moment, the three of them just stood there, staring at one another. Than they rushed forward, as though each were afraid that the other was an illusion that might vanish at any moment if they didn't reach it _now_.  
The moment he wrapped his arms around them; he realized his daughters were shaking like leaves. Over and over, he told them that they were safe now; that he'd never let anything happen to them again: They were safe.

They stepped back, a moment later, though Abram Grimm kept his right hand on Tanya's left shoulder; and his left on Arianna's right.  
A moment later, Tanya raised her head to look him in the face; and, in a voice that was part- sob, said, " _Ch.-Chief of Berk … sends his … re-regards_."

Abram Grimm grunted, "He's sent a hell-of-a-lot-more than 'his regards', good as they are!" His face-hardened, "I swear; I'll have Malcolm's head on a pike, for what he did!" His eyes widened, "Your mother; is she…"

Arianna took a deep breath, "She's still on the boat… Hiccup, The Chief of Berk; he has the location, now! He deployed his extraction- teams, just before we left Berk!" A brief pause; than she added, "As for Malcolm; there's… there's something you need to hear!"

For a full half- hour, Arianna and Tanya took turns speaking. They told their father; and the growing crowd of men, from their tribe; of all that had happened, the past two days…  
Lord Bane's request to have them transferred to his ship, with the intention that they die in Berk- territory: to discourage Hiccup from launching additional retrieval- teams;  
How Hiccup had dispatched the entire crew of Lord Bane's boat, during 'the _siege_ of Berk';  
Hiccup's ' _conversation_ ' with ' _lord_ ' Malik, which prompted mixed reactions of mirth and awe, from the listeners.  
And, last of all, they explained Hiccup's intention to deliver as many Kraken- Lords as they might seize, minus Lord Blackthorn, into the custody of the _Southern Chiefs_ , and the reasons for it – pending the consent of his fellow Northern Chiefs.

When they finished, Abram Grim let out a short bark of laughter, "Gods; I wish I could've seen the look on Malik's face … Thought he had a way out; but oh, no! – HA!"  
He smiled; _smiled_ , a genuine smile, for the first time in four years. "Well… I think we could all do with some rest. Though I want the watch _tripled_ ; and if _anyone_ dozes off at their posts, _I swear_ : I'll throw you overboard and you can swim home!"  
Nobody argued. There were a few minutes' of conversation; as the rotations were worked out, than everyone who wasn't on-duty returned below decks.

 _The following morning; The Kraken Lords' Command Ship_ ,

It was the morning of the third day since Lords Bane and Malik had departed, with their orders, and their fifty ships. As per Lord Bane's suggestions, six more ships had been dispatched; to reinforce the defenses around the hostage- ships.

High- Lord Malchior had also given orders that four more hostages be transferred from the hostage ships, to their Command Ship. One of them; a middle- aged woman, with reddish blonde hair, and a slender build; seemed to constantly be on the verge of tears. Her name was Sabrina: the wife of Chief Abram Grimm, and mother of Arianna and Tanya.

The mood in the hall was one of two opposing extremes: the Kraken Lords, and their men, were still in a good humor. The serving women, meanwhile, appeared tired and subdued.  
All of that changed, when the sound of shuffling footsteps, as their owners made their way towards them.  
A few minutes after the sounds were first heard, the leader of the group stood framed in the doorway.

High- Lord Malchior's eyes bulged. "Lord… Lord Bane!" – The sound of cutlery, dishes, and conversation immediately fell silent.  
Lord Bane stood in the doorway; his robes torn, hair disheveled, and a dazed faraway look in his eyes that seemed entirely out of character. He carried a thick tree branch, broken off, to serve as a makeshift crutch, under one arm; and he was taking visible care to not put his full weight on that foot.  
Behind him, several of his men filed in behind him: One man was missing an arm; another seemed to have broken several ribs, and a third bore the signs of a recent concussion.

"Lord Bane!" High- Lord Malchior repeated, "What… What is this? Where is Lord Malik?"

The questions seemed to jolt Lord Bane out of his reverie. "This," he gestured at his men, scowling, "This is _His_ work, all of it … Blasted _Hiccup_ was _expecting_ us; he'd set _a trap_! He claims _he_ orchestrated the disappearance of Blackthorn's captives; that they've been on Berk since a full week before they held their Council! If that's true, then the report we received from Thommen was a _total fabrication_ ; _deliberate misdirection_!"  
Without thinking, he put his full weight down of his wounded leg, and barely repressed a howl of pain; as it was, his face turned as white as a sheet. For a brief moment, it looked like he was about to be sick.

"Grimm's daughters; are they dead, at least?" High- Lord Malchior said, coolly.

Lord Bane snorted, "Hiccup had two of his Night- Furies pluck them up off the deck and whisk them off to Berk, while we were running around trying to put- out fires … Our fleet was all-but obliterated; Lord Malik's either dead or captured – no way to know which."

"How many boats did you bring back?" High- Lord Malchior demanded.

Lord Bane's jaw worked. Finally, he spat out a single word: "Six."

"This… This is a catastrophe!" moaned Lord Ralden, "How could you let this happen?" Lord Bane rounded on him, but before he could utter a retort…

"The hostage- ships!" Lord Malcolm blurted, "Does he know about the hostage- ships?"

Lord Bane glowered at him, " _'Know about the hostage- ships'_? He's been _tracking our messenger- birds_ ; using _our own system_ to pin-down their location… _He. Has. Been. Toying. With. Us... –_ He could seize the boats at any time; assuming he hasn't already!"

"We sent additional ships to defend the hostage- ships, as per your suggestions," High- Lord Malchior informed him. "They are secure for the present–"

The sound of approaching footsteps caused High- Lord Malchior to leave his sentence unfinished. A moment later, a Kraken Warrior surged into the room; he tripped, and skidded along the floor; and a line of red opened along the finger of one hand, and across the palm of the other. Several other similar lines already lined his hands; proof that this was not the first time he had stumbled.  
By the time he reached the head of the hall; he was panting so hard, it was almost a full minute before he could deliver his message. " _My Lords; thir– thirteen… drag… dragons … appro–approaching … from North! Match … descriptions … Night- Furies! And… and one… has … Rider_!"

Lord Emric's eyes bulged, " _H–He has found us_!"

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve – War of The Kraken: To Face Your Foe**

 **Part One – Old Friends**

 _Great Hall of Berk; midafternoon,_

Once Hiccup, Astrid and Heather had rejoined the others at their table, and Windshear had curled up near the other dragons, Hiccup began to make the introductions.  
When he got to Valka, Hiccup preempted Heather's question by saying, "It's a long story; we'll tell you about it later." Heather nodded, and Hiccup continued his explanation, summarizing the events of the past few weeks.

Just as Hiccup was finishing, a Terrible- Terror swooped between the doors of the Great Hall. He landed on the table, in front of Hiccup, and informed them that the search of Berks' beaches, and waters, came back all- clear; and the perimeter- patrols, though ongoing, reported the same so far.  
Hiccup nodded, and, as one, he and Toothless got to their feet. "We need to check-up on our preparations; it shouldn't take long."

 _Forty-five minutes later,_

When Hiccup and Toothless reentered the Great Hall, they learned that Valka had taken the opportunity to tell her story; the night she found Hiccup, then one- year- old, _playing_ with Cloudjumper, as the former lay in his cradle. And how Cloudjumper had carried Valka away, into the night, having mistaken Stoick's attempt to _protect_ them as an _attack_.  
Valka was the first to spot them, "And there they are, now!"

The others turned to watch, as Hiccup and Toothless moved to join them. "Most dragons _do_ have a strong instinct to protect," Hiccup agreed. "On a more pressing note: everything's ready to go, almost." He grinned, "All we need are leaders for the retrieval- teams. Heather?"

Heather, who was now standing, blinked. "You mean it?"

Hiccup nodded, "The crews of the hostage- ships shouldn't be a problem, but if any _do_ manage to dodge the initial sweep…" He raised an eyebrow; "You _did_ bring that double- bladed battle- axe of yours, right?"

Heather grinned and nodded, "Freshly sharpened."

Hiccup nodded, and turned to Astrid, "The second team's with you." Astrid grinned, and nodded. Then Hiccup turned to Valka, "You know how you've been wanting to meet Torch?"

Valka smiled, "The Typhoomerang youngling you found, a years ago? How is he?"

"He's doing great; he's grown _a lot_ , since we first met him!" Hiccup replied. As he spoke, he unrolled the map he'd brought with him, and weighed down the corners.  
The first thing to catch their eye: twelve small circles, forming a 'dotted' line, extending to east and west, about eight miles south of the Shivering Shores. From each circle, a line extended, angling to the east, or west, respectively. Six miles further south, and a mile and a half to the east, the twelve lines converged.

Hiccup pointed to an island; about a mile to the north, and two miles to the east; of the position held by the Stony Shores Tribe. "Torch, his brother, sister, and mother are here; along with a detachment of the Berk Guard." He nodded to Valka; "I need you and Cloudjumper to meet them there; they've agreed to ferry the hostages from the boats, back to that island; they just need the location, and that part would be easier to do by daylight. Tomorrow, at first light, lead them the rest of the way there."  
As he spoke, Hiccup traced the route to the island to the ships, and back. "It _will_ take a few trips, judging by the numbers; but once they're there, it'll be easy to bring them the rest of the way here."

"Consider it done," Valka said, nodding.

Hiccup nodded, and turned to Astrid and Heather. "Once you reach the boats; wait until the Speed- Stingers have made their sweep, _before_ moving in. Then, before you do _anything_ else, gather the crews together: so you'll know if, and when, the paralysis starts to wear off. _Then_ get the keys, and unlock the cells; get the hostages out, and the Kraken- warriors _in_."

Tanya looked confused, "Why wait to let the others out, though… Why not free them, and then worry about the crews?"

Hiccup turned to her, "Because we need to _hold_ those boats for the full night, so that the Typhoomerangs can get there to complete the extraction. If even _one_ of the crewmen unfreezes, and they send a message to their fleet, things could get… ' _Complicated'_. Each of your teams," he nodded to Astrid and Heather, "will include several rider- dragon pairs from the Berk- Guard, but," he turned back to Tanya, "they won't have the numbers to fight a battle… Too much activity in the area could attract unwanted attention."  
Tanya nodded, to show that she understood.

Toothless took a step forward, **'Twenty of my kin will be going with you, as well; to deal with the boats guarding the hostage- ships, and to keep watch for those flying feather- balls they use to carry messages.'** He snorted, **'** _ **Ridiculous**_ **creatures.'**

Astrid, who'd been listening carefully, frowned. She turned to Hiccup, "And… where will you and Toothless be, while we're taking the hostage- ships?"

"Toothless, myself, and twelve Night- Furies, will be paying a 'visit' to the Kraken- Lords' Command Ship, once my scouts get back with the location." Hiccup's eyes glinted, "It's about time we … ' _introduced_ _ourselves_ ', properly." He nodded to Arianna and Tanya, "And we have another extraction to complete."

As the others processed Hiccup's words, they noticed, for the first time, a change in the light, filtering through the doors of the Great Hall.  
Glancing in that direction, they saw, much to their surprise, that the sun was starting to set. A moment later, three dragons marched, triumphantly, through those doors, and into the hall. Hiccup recognized them, immediately, as the dragons he'd sent to follow Lord Bane to the Kraken Lords' Command Ship.  
And, curled up on the head of the lead dragon; sat Astrid's Terrible- Terror, Sneaky. The moment she saw them, Sneaky took to the air. A moment later, she landed on Astrid's shoulder, curling her tail across her human- friend's back, for balance.

' _ **Lord**_ **Bane must be half- blind,'** she purred, smugly. **'I was** _ **practically on- top of him**_ **, and he just sat there; plotting the route to their rendezvous- point!'**

' **We've already confirmed what she overheard,'** added the Monstrous- Nightmare male whose head Sneaky had been curled up on. **'We have them.'**

"So you decided to join the tracking- party," Hiccup chuckled. "And showed up in the right place at the right time!" He winked at Astrid, "Reminds me of someone else I know… _Two_ ' _someone'_ s, if truth be told!"  
Astrid grinned, proud of her Terrible- Terror; and Stormfly uttered a low, purr- like growl. Sneaky smiled, and told the humans, and the dragons with them, what they'd discovered.

A few minutes later, they heard the rumble of distant voices, drawing closer: the villagers of Berk, gathering for supper.  
Turning towards the center of the hall, where the main fire pit rose up from the floor, they saw cooks at work: stirring one of two massive stew pots, that simmered in the fire; and stacking loaves of freshly baked bread. – And, every few minutes, glancing in their direction; and muttering, excitedly, to one another.

 _One hour later,_

As the meal was beginning to draw to a close, Hiccup turned to Leanne, Lara, Thom, Arianna, and Tanya "Come with us; there's someone I'd like you to meet." Then he rose to his feet, and, speaking so all would hear, he called, "Extraction Teams; to the beach! It's Showtime!"  
The members of the extraction- teams rose to their feet, and began making their way towards the entrance. The remaining occupants of the uttered bellows, and roars, of approval; then they returned to their food, and their enthusiastic conversations.

 _Ten minutes later, down at the beach,_

' **There!'** Toothless said; his eyes fixed on a point in the distance, far out to sea.

Hiccup looked in the direction Toothless had indicated, and, after a moment, spotted what his Night- Fury partner had. He smiled, "Right on time!"

 _Five minutes later,_

The shapes were closer, now; racing across the waves like… well: like Speed- Stingers, only they weren't on land.  
A moment later; something shot past them, and Snotlout; who'd come to 'see them off', let out a yelp; " _Hey! Deere – rill – effinal-y – gri-gri-per-cudgels for-tis_!" By the time the others turned around, Snotlout was fully immobilized.

Then a Speed- Stinger was standing before them. He uttered a short, growly, chuckle, then said, **'** _ **Sorry; couldn't resist**_ **!'**

Hiccup chuckled, "Whiplash; I see your venom has reached its full potency… That's great!" Whiplash stood up a little taller, clearly pleased with himself.

"Y-Ahh," Snotlout mumbled, grumpily. "Cong-Wha-dew-wations." Everyone on the beach, humans and dragons, both, chuckled, at this.

Hiccup shook his head, a smile visible on his face. "Come on, Snotlout; look on the bright side: At least your thumb's not stuck in your mouth, this time." This drew outright laughter.

A moment later, four more Speed- Stingers materialized, next to the first. Then six more; than eight… Then, at last, the Pack- Alpha appeared; slightly taller, longer from the tip of his nose to the tip of his stinger; and with a brilliant red crest rising from his head, he stood out from the other members of his pack.  
The Speed- Stinger approached Hiccup, and trilled something; Hiccup answered, seeming to echo part of what the Speed- Stinger Alpha had said. Than the Alpha- Stinger raised his 'hands' in front of him, palm up but angling towards himself, and flicked his clawed- fingers down against his palm.  
Hiccup mirrored the gesture; bringing the four fingers of each hand together to form two 'claws', than flicking them towards his palms.

Astrid frowned, "Hiccup… what are you doing?"

' _ **He is acknowledging one of our customs**_ **,'** the Alpha- Stinger answered. **'** _ **At times, our packs fight one another; just as human- packs sometimes do. On the occasions when we cooperate, it is only official when both pack- alphas do as we just did.'**_  
He turned to Hiccup, **'** _ **And now, to business; night has fallen, and my pack is hungry**_ **.'**

Hiccup nodded, and unrolled his map. Holding it so the Alpha- Stinger could see; Hiccup spoke in the language of dragons, gesturing at the map, and than off towards the south.

The Alpha- Stinger nodded, **'** _ **I see, now, why you suggested we get an early start… We can make the journey in good time; and there is an island near enough for us to take shelter, before daylight. Though it would be best to depart promptly.**_ **'**

Hiccup nodded, "Mount up!" Turning to Astrid, he lowered his voice and added, "Be careful, Astrid; and good luck – not that you _need_ luck."

Astrid smiled, and kissed him, "A little extra luck never hurts!" Lowering her voice, she added, "Thanks for letting me do this, Hiccup… We'll see you tomorrow, on 'Rendezvous Island'." – Hiccup smiled at this.  
Astrid clambered onto Stormfly's back, than Stormfly joined the Night- Furies, and the other dragons, in the sky.

Before the Speed- Stinger Alpha assembled his pack to depart, Hiccup called, "Whiplash; could I have a quick word?" – Whiplash moved to join him, and Hiccup lowered his voice. From where she stood, about five feet away, Lara _just barely_ heard Hiccup say, "… just in case." When he finished, Whiplash nodded, and trilled a reply.

Then the Alpha- Stinger gathered his pack into formation, and led the way: off of the island of Berk, and south, towards their destination.

 **Part Two – Defeat and Delays**

 _Several miles south of Berk, Lord Bane;_

"Just break off a tree branch and give it to me, blast it!" Lord Bane said, forcing the words out, while struggling to hold back a howl of pain.  
For the past hour and a half, their journey to rendezvous with his fellow Kraken- Lords had been uneventful. After the half dozen dragons pursuing them had finally turned back.  
 _He'd ordered his warriors to man the catapults, and fire at will, than he began pacing the deck: trying to decide how to explain this mess to High- Lord Malchior. Then, as the nearest catapult was about to fire, one of those accursed Deadly- Nadders had launched a volley of spines at in. What, exactly, had happened, he didn't know; but one of the beams fell backward, onto his foot._  
He didn't know how badly he was injured, but one thing was blindingly obvious: his leg would no longer support his full weight, until it healed.

The catapult was far from being the only damage they'd sustained. Even from atop his 'throne' of supply crates, he could tell that they needed to stop to make repairs.  
The mast, on one boat, looked as though it might come crashing to the deck at any moment; another boat needed its tiller replaced… The list went on.

As the last of the dragons had vanished from view, Lord Bane gritted his teeth, and gave the orders to make for shore.  
It would take the rest of the day to complete their repairs, and most of the night to reach the rendezvous point. Assuming nothing else went wrong, they'd arrive early the following morning, though the circumstances of his return would be far from ideal, even for a defeat.

Once they'd pulled their boats ashore, on a deserted stretch of beach, he sent groups of men to cut down trees to replace the damaged masts, and search the area for anything else they could use.  
On one occasion, he thought he glimpsed a flicker of … not ' _movement_ ', exactly: it was as though a patch of air had, somehow, briefly reflected sunlight. It appeared only once, on the periphery of his vision, and then it was gone.

In an effort to distract himself from the pain in his leg, he gathered his navigators, and they began to plot their route to the rendezvous point… They might as well be _ready_ to sail, so they could leave as soon as they were _able_ to.

 **Part Three – The Black Rider**

 _The following morning; shortly after Lord Bane's return,_

"… _One… has … Rider!_ " The messenger's words seemed to hang in the air, long after they should have faded to silence.

Lord Emric's eyes bulged, " _H–He has found us_!"

"That's impossible; he–" Lord Bane's eyes widened, "Get back on deck, and tell the other sentries to keep eyes on the Rider _at all times_! The riding outfit Emric mentioned; it contains the mechanism for a glider! An aerial- assault could just be a diversion to–"

Before Lord Bane could finish, High- Lord Malchior boomed, " _GO_!" Immediately, the messenger spun around, and charged back the way he'd come. Then the High- Kraken turned his gaze landed on Sabrina; his eyes narrowed, and he gave _a second_ command.

 _Five minutes later_ ,

The thick boards over their heads blocked most of the sound; but the wailing shriek, heard through legends and stories, and now in real life, still reached their ears … _Night- Furies_.  
Then came a muffled explosion; and then came the sound of running feet, and shouting.  
" _CROSSBOWS; FIRE AT WILL_!" And, a moment later, " _GODS HAVE MERCY; THE ARROWS JUST BOUNCE OFF THEM_!"  
Then, from further away came " _ABANDON SHIP_!" – An instant later, came the sound of a second explosion; louder than the first; and accompanied by the sounds of timber breaking, and a chorus of unintelligible shouts.

Than another voice, slightly closer than the one before, bellowed, " _TWO MORE COMING IN AT THREE- O'CLOCK … GET_ –" Then came another explosion, much like the one before.  
" _THEY'RE PICKING US OF! THEY'RE ****ING PICKING US–_ " The sentence ended with a wordless shout of shock and fear.

" _THE COMMAND- SHIP! THEY'VE CLEARED THE DECK OF THE COMMAND SHIP! THE RIDER–_ " The rest of the sentence was drowned out by several loud thuds; as though several large creatures had landed on the deck, above them.

A moment later; there came another, lighter, thud; and sounds that were, unmistakably, footsteps. A voice spoke from above them, thought they couldn't make out the words. Then the sound of movement, as the new- arrivals made for the entryway to the lower levels.  
High Lord Malchior nodded to the man who held Sabrina; the wife of Chief Abram Grimm, and mother of Arianna and Tanya; by the arm. "Get into position, and be ready to act."

 _Two minutes later,_

Several minutes passed in tense silence. Sabrina now stood in the middle of the hall; the man standing behind her held a dagger to her throat, while his free hand kept a firm grip on her shoulder.  
Then there was movement by the entrance to the 'hall'; which, now that one thought about it, _was_ large enough to accommodate a ' _reasonably_ ' sized…  
The head of the first dragon came into view; then its neck, and the main part of its body; then, at last, the tip of its tail. Its scales were as black as pitch, and its eyes were a greenish- yellow. The Night- Fury considered the scene, uttered a low growl, and moved to the left.

The second Night- Fury entered, and moved to the right of the doors. The other serving- girls; who stood clustered together along one wall; shifted, nervously.  
Then a third Night- Fury entered the hall; unlike the others, it wore a saddle. And, seated in the saddle, sat a human; clad from head to toe in black scale- armor, and wearing a helmet shaped in the likeness of a Night- Fury's head; the faceplate of which was down.  
Hiccup took a moment to take in the scene: the benches, the men seated there; the Kraken Lords, seated at the head- table; and the serving girls, standing off to one side.  
Then he turned to look at Sabrina; and the man standing behind her, with the dagger at her throat. When he spoke; his voice reverberated from beneath his Night- Fury helm, " _And who… Ah, yes: I see the resemblance; Sabrina_."

Sabrina gasped, "My daughters; Arianna and Tanya; are they safe? Are they on Berk?"

" _They_ were _on Berk_ ," Hiccup inclined his head, slightly, " _but I had them sent on, to their father, yesterday evening. I've received confirmation that they arrived safely_."

Sabrina's shoulders slumped with relief, "Then forget about me; help them!" She nodded to the other hostages, where they stood, clustered together.

Before Hiccup respond, the man holding the dagger growled, "You try anything, I swear; I swear, I'll give her a 'red- smile'."

" _Will you_ , _now_?" Hiccup asked, he sounded amused. " _I think the Terrible- Terror, sitting on your helmet, might have something to say about that_." As he spoke, Hiccup slid off of Toothless's saddle, and eased himself to the floor.  
As the meaning of his words sank in, everyone in the hall turned their attention to the man's helmet; most did a double- take.

A split second later, Sneaky's head whipped into the man's field of view; and she bit him on the nose. The startled warrior yelped, dropped his dagger; and staggered backwards, raising his hands to defend himself.  
Without a moments' hesitation, Sabrina shot forward: putting some extra distance between her and the other Kraken- warriors. Off to one side, several of the Kraken Lords' hostages began to edge their way towards the end of the hall opposite the high- table.

Before they'd gone more than a few feet, a second Kraken- warrior, hefting a two- handed great-sword, charged the Chief of Berk.  
Hiccup made no move to evade, or draw his own sword; a moment later, the blade came down; a few inches from the right side of Hiccup's neck … The moment the strike connected with the armor; there was a flash of blue light, and the blade of the sword shattered. A few seconds later, the last of the pieces clattered to the floor.

Only then did Hiccup drew his black sword, and slash at his 'attacker'. The blade cut through the man's armor as though it were made of cheese; passed through muscle, and bone as easily as if it were empty air.  
He wiped the black- blade off on the man's vest, and returned it to its sheath. A moment later, a line of red seemed to trace itself down the middle of the man's head, his chest, and on. Then he fell to the floor: first the right side, than the left.

Hiccup turned to the right end of the high- table, " _Have you told them nothing, 'Lord' … Blame … Brane_?" He shrugged, " _Ahh… You know who you are_."

Lord Bane didn't seem to hear; his eyes were bulging, "That… That shouldn't even be possible!"

High- Lord Malchior had other concerns, "Lord Bane; what is he talking about? What haven't you said?"

"There… There wasn't time, before." Lord Bane muttered, his expression wary. He took several shaky breaths, and began an account of his 'attack' on Berk. For a full five minutes, he talked; and, when he finished, the silence went unbroken for several minutes.

"Wha–What is that made of?" Lord Ralden asked, his voice hoarse. "The armor; the sword?"

" _An ore the likes of which this world, has never seen before, and will never see again_ ," Hiccup replied. He lifted the faceplate of his helmet; revealing a narrow face, framed with dark brown hair; and continued, "As Night- Furies grow, their scales thicken into a sort of armor; once fully grown," he gestured to the dragons with him, "swords and axes barely scratch them. For six centuries, up until a few years ago; when a Night- Fury sensed his, or her, life was near its end; they would plunge into a _very particular_ pool of molten- magma, located deep below the caverns of their ancestral home. It was a sort of ritualistic- end… Over the centuries, the scales of those Night- Furies mixed with the elements of the earth, and formed the ore I mentioned, a moment ago."

For a long moment, no one spoke. High- Lord Malchior was the first to overcome his shock, "But… Why would they do this thing?"

Hiccup turned in the direction of the voice. For a moment, he considered the man who'd spoken. Finally, he said, " _High- Lord_ Malchior, is it?"

The man seated in the middle of the high- table had light brown hair, and a closely trimmed beard. He appeared to be in his late forties or early fifties; and was, _perhaps_ , _a little_ overweight. His expression was stern, his manner cool, but his eyes widened when Hiccup addressed him by name. "How do you...?"

But Hiccup had moved on, "Then the man to your left would be ' _lord_ ' Roland." The man to Malchior's left, who looked to be a year or two older, and an inch shorter, cringed. "And next to him, ' _lords_ ' Ralden, Tarbek, I've already ' _met_ ' Emric…" Emric cringed; Hiccup appeared not to notice. "The empty chair is Blackthorn's, I believe; and, last on that end, Tristan." Then, in the same casual tone, he named the Kraken- Lords to Malchior's right: "Locke; Malcolm; Ammon; Malik's empty chair; Melbourne, and… the one I'm always forgetting: your _excuse_ for a strategist."

High- Lord Malchior took a deep breath, to regain his composure. "Do not think to unsettle us; you know our names, no more … I asked you a question: Why would the Night- Furies do what you claim?"

"I heard you; that does not mean I have to answer," Hiccup said, calmly. "Unless, of course, I choose to; though, in this case, I think I will." The Chief of Berk fell silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "For centuries, time out of mind, the dragons have passed down a legend; one that tells of a dragon and a human joining forces; bridging the gap between, and uniting, the two races. Some believed it, others did not; but five years ago, a series of events brought the two of us together … When we made eye- contact, the first time, a connection opened between us; Toothless, here, used this connection to learn our language; and I the language of the dragons. We, on Berk, have been building and strengthening that peace ever since."

Lord Tarbek snorted, "Do you honestly expect us to believe–"

The corner of Hiccup's lip twitched; he turned to the man on the floor, who was still struggling with the Terrible- Terror. " _Grrr-rah-rah; reet-reet-cree: Grr-rah-Grrr; scrah reet-gralph_." – The Terrible- Terror extricated herself from the man's grip; spread her wings, and leapt into the air. A moment later, she landed on Hiccup's shoulder, and he gave her an affectionate rub on the lower jaw.

"And you think that gives you the right to insult whomever you please?" Lord Bane said, through gritted teeth. " _You_ _dare call_ _me_ _'an excuse for a strategist'_?"

Hiccup turned to him; one eyebrow raised, "You brought a force of _fifty_ ships against my island; knowing, full well; that we had destroyed a force nearly _four- times_ that size: half a year ago, and with far less warning … I see no trace of _competence_ in your actions, much less _strategic- mastery_." The silence that followed went unbroken, for several long minutes.

It was Hiccup who broke the silence. "I saw through your; I'm sorry: _your grandfather's_ 'conquest method'; mere minutes after receiving my letter calling for a Council of Chiefs, in fact. And I sent Night- Fury patrols, to monitor the other villages for abduction- attempts, that very night … One of those patrols _witnessed_ Blackthorn's little 'covert- op'; one Night- Fury brought word to me, while the others followed Blackthorn's boats to his 'secure location'." Hiccup chuckled, "Once Chief Thommen learned his family was safe, he was more than willing to give you the twelve locations I'd chosen to use as reference points."

"' _Reference points_ '…" rasped Lord Melbourne. "Reference points for what?"

Hiccup grinned, "Why ask what you already know."

Lord Melbourne's eyes widened, "The hostage- ships!" – Hiccup nodded.

"What exactly do you want?" High- Lord Malchior asked, "Everyone has their price!"

Hiccup expression grew serious, "What do _I_ want? I want ' _justice_ '… Justice for the Northern Chieftains Drago burned alive, when he first came north; justice for _my father_ , who died intercepting an attack that _was meant_ for me _, when Drago decided_ I was a danger to him … I understand I have _you Kraken- Lords_ to ' _thank_ ' for Drago … I think _you know_ what _I_ want."  
At this, the room went very still.

"We are not of The North, though!" High- Lord Malchior announced, smugly. "We are–"

"' _Of the south; beyond the reach of our judgment_ ', so on and so forth," Hiccup interjected, rolling his eyes. "Yes, yes; Malik already tried that one; though it won't do you much good. When our Council reconvenes, I'll move that you 'kraken- lords' be turned- over to the _Southern- Tribes_ , at wars' end: We can't pass judgment on you, but _their Chieftains can_. All we need; now; are _envoys_ , to help _establish contact_ …" He turned to the 'serving girls'; who were staring him, open- mouthed; and gave a short, but respectful, nod.  
When he turned back to the high- table; saw the wide-eyed kraken- lords, and grinned. "Now… What else: there was something else … Ah, yes." He turned to the Night- Furies, "Seize ' _lords_ ' _Blaine_ …"

"Lord _Bane_!" Lord Bane corrected, before he'd registered the context of Hiccup's sentence. Then his eyes widened, " _Wait, what_?"

"And Malcolm," Hiccup finished. "As for the rest of you: We'll be seeing you soon enough, if you survive." The two Night- Furies lunged: returning, moments later, gripping Lords Bane and Malcolm, in their claws.  
Hiccup turned to the _former_ \- hostages, "Unless there's anything pressing you need to take care of, we should be leaving; those of you who had family on the boats, you'll find them at our rendezvous point."  
None of them needed convincing: they all- but- ran for the entrance. Hiccup and Toothless followed, and the two Night- Furies brought up the rear.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen – War of The Kraken: The Tide Turns**

 **Part One – The Hostage Ships**

 _Several hours after leaving Berk; Astrid,_

The moment the hostage- ships appeared on the horizon, all other thoughts retreated to the back of Astrid's mind. Up until then, she'd been thinking about Hiccup; and the conversation she'd had with Valka, the day after Hiccup and Astrid's wedding.

 _Flashback_ _: Astrid and Valka had gone out flying, that morning; so Valka could give Astrid some tips on aerial- acrobatics, an interest they shared. Early on, Valka had seen something in Astrid's expression.  
When Valka asked if she was all right, Astrid had taken a moment to answer. Finally, she'd said, "I'm fine, it's just … I've been thinking: The evening Hiccup got the scroll from the Shivering Shores, calling for a Council of Chiefs … Normally, a chief would've postponed any major events; so they could focus on the task at hand…"  
Valka had understood immediately. "You're wondering why he kept it where it was."  
Astrid nodded, "I'm glad he didn't push it back, don't get me wrong, but… I'd like to ask about it, I'm just not sure how to… you know… 'Ask'."  
Valka's expression became thoughtful, "You'd have to ask, to know for sure, but… I think I can guess."  
Astrid raised an eyebrow, "Ok… what is it?"  
Valka turned to look at her, "Astrid; Hiccup would've known that he'd make an impression, on the Chiefs. If they learned he was unwed; marriage- pact, or no; they'd insist that he meet _their _daughters, first … He loves you, Astrid, and he didn't want to put you through that_."

It had taken Astrid a few days, but, one evening, she brought up the subject with Hiccup. As Stormfly; and those with them, flew through the night, towards their destination; Astrid thought back to that evening, remembering what Hiccup had said.  
" _We've practically grown up together, Astrid: We work together; support one another… If you need to talk to someone, I'm here; if I need someone to back me up, you're there. Also: this isn't 'politics', or any kind of obligation… We're both here, because we want to be; the same wouldn't be true with anyone else." He kissed her, lightly, on the lips, and pulled her into a hug. "This is where we belong."_

The days since their wedding had been busy; full of preparations for the upcoming war, and both of them were tired by the end of the day.  
But, at Astrid's insistence, Hiccup woke her up when he got up: so that she, and Stormfly, could join them for their morning flight. They spent as much of their time as their duties would permit together; and she saw him work tirelessly to ensure everything was ready.  
She, and the other villagers, thought that they couldn't respect Hiccup any more than they already did; Astrid had been sure she couldn't love him any more than she already did; but as they saw him prepare, strategize, and coordinate…  
A new ... 'depth' of Hiccup's character had been revealed. An awareness that; as capable, resourceful, and fair as he was – and they'd known him to be; Hiccup had been matching his abilities to the situation they faced, most likely without even realizing it.  
Hiccup was like a slumbering Bewilderbeast; peaceful, content, patient, and more besides; but, if those who were his to lead and protect came under threat, The Dragon would wake.

Astrid blinked, and shifted in her saddle, as her thoughts returned to her surroundings. A moment later, she spotted the hostage ships; rising out of the ocean, about three miles ahead of them.  
Astrid took a deep breath, and gave the signal for their group to separate into the two retrieval- teams. As they did, she and Heather exchanged nods; Heather and Windshear swerved to the left, Astrid and Stormfly to the right.  
Both teams would swing around, to approach the boats from the side; and remain there, circling, for seven minutes, while the Speed- Stingers moved in.

As Astrid's team followed her and Stormfly to the right, Astrid glanced down: watching, as the Speed- Stinger pack divided into two groups. The Alpha led the group angling towards the left boat. And, in response to his low growl, Whiplash moved to the head of the group angling to the right.

 _Aboard the rightmost hostage- ship, lowest level,_

The 'room' was long, narrow, and dimly lit. A single corridor extended the length of the ship, the cells running along both sides. Iron bars crisscrossed on all four sides of each cell – even along the exterior wall of the ship. The only source of light was the lanterns that hung from hooks embedded in the ceiling, at intervals of about ten feet.  
The noise level, though still subdued, was higher than usual: on account of the four hostages who had recently been taken from one of the cells. No explanation had been given, and none of those four had returned. Since then, murmurs of quiet conversations filled the room.

"Has that ever happened before?" Brianna asked. The sixteen-year-old, slender, brown haired girl; and her mother, who stood next to her; had been seized only two moths before The Kraken Lords had marshaled their forces to move north.

"Not as long as we've been here." Alana, a red-haired girl of eighteen years; shook her head, nodding to her mother, as she spoke. "I don't know what it means; I'm not sure I _want_ to know."

"If it's never happened before, maybe it means something good?" Brianna's mother spoke up, a note of desperate hope evident in her voice.

Alana's mother sighed. "As much as I'd like to believe that..." She shook her head, " _They_ 've been doing this for years; perfecting their ' _method_ '." The bitterness with which she said the word 'method' was palpable.

Brianna hesitated, then asked, "What about the Northern Dragon- Master, though? If he defeated Drago…"

She stopped when Alana sighed, "Maybe _He_ could've stopped them, but… you know how the Kraken- Lords operate; once Lord Bane gets his report–"

Before Alana could finish her sentence, they heard shouts, and running footsteps. The commotion above them lasted for, perhaps, five minutes, the noise lessening with every passing minute. Then the sound of running footsteps began to draw nearer.  
Suddenly, four Kraken- warriors charged in, weapons drawn. "CLOSE THE DOOR!" The man in the lead bellowed, frantically. "CLOSE THE DOOR! BEFORE–"  
Then something, _several 'something's_ , shot in after them. Cursing, the Kraken- warriors scrambled backwards, standing back- to- back.

The new arrivals came to a stop, considering the men before them. Then, as one, the four _Speed- Stingers_ shot forwards; tails, tipped with their stinger, held high.  
An instant later, each of the dragons had selected their target, and plunged their stinger into the man's arm, or shoulder, or side. Their venom took affect immediately: seconds later; the four men were completely paralyzed.

 _A short time later,_

About five minutes after the arrival of the four Speed- Stingers, they again heard the sound of footsteps; growing steadily louder, the closer they got.  
A moment later, a slender girl with blonde hair stepped into the room. She wore a red shirt; a leather skirt, studded with spikes; dark pants, and fur-lined boots. She looked to be in her late teens, or early twenties. One Speed- Stingers noticed her, and made his way forward.  
The girl spotted him, and grinned. "Hey, Whiplash, is that the last of…" Her gaze drifted around the room, and her eyes widened. " _Oh. My. Gods_ … These are… They're…" - The lead Speed- Stinger bobbed its head in agreement, then his stomach rumbled.  
The girl raised an eyebrow, "Ok… You guys go get something to eat; Gods know you've earned it! The rest of your group is… ' _Taking inventory_ '." She stepped aside, and the Speed- Stingers zipped past her.  
The girl took a half dozen steps into the room, raised her voice, and said, "Just hang tight a little longer… We'll get you out of there as soon as we've finished securing the boats!" She turned around, and vanished from view.

In their cell; third down from the entrance, on the right; Alana glanced from Brianna, to her mother, and back. She shrugged, and managed a flicker of a smile. "On the _other_ _hand_..."

 _Just over an hour later,_

After some jostling, all of the Kraken- Lords' hostages on that boat stood with their faces pressed against the bars of their cells.  
Standing, and watching: while three men, a woman, and the blond- haired girl they'd seen before; carried, or – more often, dragged, the crewmen of the hostage- ships into the room. And, alternately, listening to the 'thuds' that told them another 'delivery' was en-route.

After about an hour, the three men, the woman, and the girl finished their work. The girl turned to the others, "Ok ... Are we _sure_ that's all of them?"

The woman nodded; and, gesturing to one of the men, as she spoke; said, "We cleared the main deck, and the dragons are keeping watch." She chuckled, "Believe me: If anyone _was_ up there; they'd be _wishing_ they were down here."

The girl nodded, "And we cleared the second deck." She took a deep breath, and nodded. "Ok… Lets just … take a minute, to catch our breaths." She nodded to the people in the cells, "We'll get you out of there in a few minutes; it's just… Gods, there were a lot of these guys!"

"'A few minutes'!" A woman, who stood about ten feet away from Astrid, rolled her eyes. "Gods; don't strain yourselves … I got nowhere to be till my 'five minutes on deck', this afternoon!"

The girl raised an eyebrow, "I hope that 'five minutes' part was a joke." She glanced around the room, and her expression darkened, "Though from what I've seen, it wouldn't surprise me." She started, as though she'd forgotten herself, "I'm Astrid; this is…"  
As she introduced the human- members of her team, each took a step forward, and nodded an acknowledgment.  
When she finished, Astrid turned back to face the cells. "We've got a bit of a wait ahead of us; the rest of our team will get here tomorrow morning… We can fill you in on the details later; right now we're going to need all of you out of those cells, so we can get these guys in there." Her voice hardened, "We can't have them sending any messages to _their fleet_ ; now, can we?"

The moment the words were out of her mouth, a current of angry mutters; of, or implying; agreement, rippled through the room.  
When Astrid asked after the keys, she was promptly directed to a hook, lodged in the back of the door; where they would clink together every time the door was opened or closed. Astrid snatched the ring of keys off its hook, and made her way up the left side of the room; unlocking doors, as she went. As the _former_ \- hostages emerged from their cells; they moved, directly and without prompting; to the nearest frozen Kraken- warriors, and began dragging them into what had once been _their_ cell.  
Astrid turned to watch them for a moment, and then slid the key into the lock of the next door. As she turned the key in the lock, she grinned and said, "Don't you just _love_ jobs that get easier, as you go?" – A smattering of low chuckles greeted her words, as a fresh wave of _very willing_ helpers moved towards the frozen guards.

As Astrid was about to unlock the third cell on the right, nearest the entrance; a red- haired girl, a few years younger than she was, said, "There're more of us; nine more, on the Kraken Lords' command- ship; and they took four more – yesterday, I think."

Astrid nodded an acknowledgment, but didn't look concerned, "If they're on the command- ship, they've got nothing to worry about: that's where Hiccup's going." She took in their expressions, "Look: Hiccup practically _breathes_ strategy… He figured out the whole 'conquerors banner' thing the night he got his letter, calling for a Council of Chiefs."  
She glance around, saw that more people were listening in, and continued; "He sent Night- Fury patrols to monitor every northern- village for abduction attempts; found out where Blackthorn brought his hostages, and arranged to have them airlifted to Berk… He sent them a letter promising a distraction, and asking them to run into the forests; to meet his extraction team, and conceal their escape." Astrid paused for a moment, to let the listeners' process what she was saying. "When the Council convened, he presented what he'd learned to the other chiefs; informed them of what he'd done, and suggested a few… 'Surprises' for the Kraken- Lords."

Astrid hadn't intended to go into such an in-depth description, at first; but changed her mind when she noticed the occupants of the last cell she'd unlocked, as well as the next two, were listening in.  
When she stopped; none of them moved, or spoke, for a full two minutes. They stood where they were, openmouthed; as though Astrid had just presented irrefutable proof that pigs could fly.

Finally, Alana asked, "What… What kind of 'surprises'?"

Astrid's smile widened, "He basically _outlined_ the contents for the report Chief Thommen sent them; _giving_ them the deployment locations, but holding back _a few … key details_." Astrid's eyes gleamed, "The report, ultimately, outlined twelve locations, ' _crucial_ '," Astrid paused to draw air- quotes around the word 'crucial', "to our defense strategy. He also came up with the idea to track the messenger- birds, that left the boats, after they were in position."

One of the two women in the cell, also red- haired, gasped; "Tracking their messenger- birds? But that would have brought you… _That's_ how you found us!" – Astrid nodded.

The other woman, in the same cell as the girl and woman who'd already spoken, considered Astrid for a moment; "The way you talk about Hiccup… is he a friend of yours?"

Astrid face glowed, "He's my _husband,_ actually… We got married just before this war started." As she spoke, she moved to the next door, and unlocked it.

"He's _your husband_?" An expression of horrified disbelief appeared on the woman's face. "Gods! What are you doing here, then? If the Kraken- Lords got hold of you…"  
The temperature in the room seemed to drop to freezing in a matter of seconds, as the listeners considered the possible implications.

Astrid raised an eyebrow, "I'm a fighter; Hiccup knows I can take care of myself, and with Stormfly – my Deadly- Nadder, watching my back…" she smiled and shrugged. "Look: As nice as this conversation is," she turned the key in the lock, and opened the door. "I'm finding this 'prison- décor' a little depressing." She held up the ring of keys, and gestured to the remaining cells. "Any chance we could continue this later, up top?"

 _Thirty minutes later,_

Half an hour after Astrid finished her first round of the hall, unlocking the doors; she was completing her second round, this time locking the doors behind the Kraken- warriors. As she walked, she saw the people she'd been talking to moving around the room; speaking to the other former- hostages. She could tell, from the expressions on their faces, that they were sharing the story she'd told them. When she moved to rejoin the members of her team; people moved aside, clearing a path for her; and followed, as they made there way topside.

 _Two hours later,_

The sun had risen just enough for light to return to the world, when a startled cry quickly brought everyone rushing to the starboard rail. When she saw the Typhoomerangs, drawing slowly nearer, Astrid breathed a sigh of relief. Turning to the others, Astrid called, "They're here: first group, get ready!"  
The deck of both boats exploded into a flurry of activity: as those designated to go with the first group moved into position, and the others moved out of the path.

The Typhoomerangs were quick to close the remaining distance. A few minutes later, they were drifting in to hover alongside the hostage- ships, two to each.  
Once they were in place, hovering as close to the decks as they could; 'group- one' clambered onto the backs of the Typhoomerangs, and the dragons glided back into the sky.

Then, somewhat to Astrid's surprise, the Typhoomerangs began to circle above them; and Cloudjumper came in for a landing. Once he'd set down, and Valka dismounted, Astrid hurried forward. "Is something wrong?"

Valka shook her head, "No, no… I just thought you'd like to get back to Hiccup. Cloudjumper and I will accompany the second group to the rendezvous- point."  
Astrid smiled, and nodded a silent 'thank you'. She gave Valka a quick summary of how they'd seized the boats; made a few introductions; checked- in with Heather, to say that she'd see them either at the rendezvous- point, or on Berk; than Stormfly rose into the sky to join the Typhoomerangs, Astrid on her back.  
As she came into view, several people waved to her in greeting: Alana and her mother, Arya; and Brianna and her mother, Bella. "I thought you were going with the second group?"

Astrid shrugged, "So did I, actually… Hiccup's mom and I swapped places – she offered, since Hiccup will be on his way there soon."  
With that, they set off in the direction of what Astrid has called 'Rendezvous- Island'. As they angled away, six of the Night- Furies moved to accompany them.

 _An hour and a half later,_

After ninety minutes in the air, the Typhoomerangs were descended towards the island Hiccup had chosen for their secondary- location. When they hovered a few feet from the ground, their passengers quickly slid off, landing lightly on their feet.  
Several called 'thank you', before the dragons could rise out of hearing distance. The dragons dipped their heads, in then they continued their ascent; vanishing from view, a few minutes later.

The second group; including Valka, Cloudjumper, Heather, Windshear, and the Vikings- dragon pairs from the Berk guard; arrived, about two and a half hours later.  
In an effort to keep her mind off the time, Astrid continued her conversation where they'd last left off. – Despite that, the passing time weighed heavily on Astrid.

Then, finally, the wailing shriek that heralded the arrival of a group of Night- Furies reached their ears. A few minutes later, twelve pitch- black dragons were coming in for a landing. Nine descended in a cluster; when they set down, the last of the Krakens' hostages clambered down. The moment their feet hit the ground, those who had family in the other group rushed towards one another.  
A moment later, Alana and Arya returned to where Astrid waited. "I haven't seen Sabrina anywhere," Arya commented, sounding worried. "Could something–"

" _She's fine_ ," another voice said. Astrid, Alana and Arya jumped; and looked up to see another Night- Fury, coming in for a landing. Others glanced up too, and a hush fell over the crowd. The Night- Fury landed, and the figure on his back, slid to the ground. Hiccup eased his helmet off of his head, and tossed it up, onto Toothless's saddle. He and Astrid hugged, and he kissed her on a cheek. Then they rejoined Alana, Arya, Brianna, and Bella.  
"I'd already sent Arianna and Tanya to their father's boat; so it seemed best to send her on, as well." Hiccup considered the suns' position in the sky, "She should be there any minute now, actually."

Astrid made quick introductions; then, grinning widely; put an arm around Hiccup, "So… how did the kraken- lords react to your ' _little visit_ '?"

Hiccup chuckled, placed an arm around Astrid's shoulders, and said, "How about we let _one of them_ answer that." – As he spoke, two Night- Furies dropped two struggling figures eight feet to Hiccup's left, both of them clad in elaborately embroidered robes. Turning to the crowd of southerners, Hiccup raised his voice, "I am sure you will all recognize ' _lords' Brane_ and Malcolm."

" _Lord_ _._ _Bane_ _!_ " One of the figures growled, angrily, from the ground, where he lay in a heap. A ripple of low murmurs moved through the crowd: " _It can't be…_ " " _Well, it sounds like him_ …" " _Gods; if it_ _is_ _him…_ "

"You stop at the ' _gift- shop_ '?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Would you believe _all they had_ was 'kraken- lords'?" Hiccup shot her a grin; turned to the nearest robed figure, and called "Whatever you say, 'lord _Blame_ '."

The two lords, who the Night- Furies had apparently decided to carry upside down by their legs, struggled to disentangle themselves, and regain their feet.  
The lord on the right growled, " _I. Am. Lord._ _BANE_ _! How many times do I have to–_ " He rose to his feet, using a large boulder to keep his weight off his bad leg. When he looked up, and began to recognize faces in the crowd, his face turned white.

"Lord Bane? What is it? What's going–" Lord Malcolm rose to his feet, took in the crowd before them, and his face turned as white as Bane's. "Oh, ******; we're dead."

"Not here," Hiccup said, softly, turning to face them. "And not yet. But soon enough, yes... I expect your time in this world will soon come to an end. For now: you will join ' _lord_ ' Malik, in his cell; and, after the war ends, you will be joined by however many of your 'colleagues' still live. You made your decisions together, as members of a council; so, it seems only right that you face the consequences of those decisions together, as a _group_."  
Hiccup nodded to the two Night- Furies who had brought them, and the dragons shot forwards. They plucked up the two 'lords'; carried them into the sky, and out of sight.

After a moment, Brianna cleared her throat, and asked, "Uh… Why did you call 'lord _Bane_ ' 'lord _Blame_ ', and 'lord _Brane_ '?"

Hiccup chuckled, "I'm just messing with him, a little… You'll find out why, and how, soon enough … Just don't let him find out that I _actually know_ his _real name_ , ok?"  
Brianna looked surprised, but nodded; and a current of whispers rippled outwards from where they stood, as the message was passed along.

Hiccup turned to the crowd of southerners, and continued to speak. "I realize that you did not travel north of your own will, but nonetheless: welcome, to the Archipelagos. Now that this… _Unpleasantness_ has been taken care of; hopefully your _visit_ can take a more positive turn. I now extend, to all of you, an offer of safe- sanctuary, on Berk, until wars' end. The Northern Council of Chiefs reconvenes this afternoon; in a few hours, I must return to Berk to make my final preparations."  
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Understand: that _is not_ a deadline for my offer of sanctuary; nor will I be withdrawing the forces I have deployed here – so long as any remain here, or until this war reaches its end. In the meantime," he gestured with his free hand, "do as you would. And welcome, again, to the North."

Over the course of the next hour and fifty minutes, Hiccup spoke to dozens of people. He explained about the letters he _suggested_ that they write, and a variety of other topics.  
When asked about his knowledge of dragons – when as sometimes was, Hiccup smiled and said, "I have kept that knowledge secret, even from the other northern tribes, for almost five years. They would take it poorly if I disclosed it to others on the very day I met them. I hope to, someday; but it will have to wait, for now."  
When someone expressed gratitude to him; something that seemed to happen every ten seconds; Hiccup would say, "I'm glad I was able to help, though I only did what anyone with the means to act would have." – But Astrid, who remained at his side the _almost_ the entire time; noticed that he rotated his responses, whether it was the order of what he said or slightly different wording; so that it sounded fresh and sincere every time, and not a line he said because he was expected to.

At one point, his route brought him close to where the other members of his tribe. Hiccup saw the pride, on his mother's face, and the rest of his people's, from a good ten feet out.  
It took a moment for her to find her words, but Valka finally said, "You were _born_ to be a Chief, Hiccup." Then she pulled him into a hug.  
When the time came, Hiccup politely excused himself, walked back to where Toothless waited, and clambered onto the Night- Fury's back. A short distance away, Astrid settled into Stormfly's saddle. Then the Night- Fury, and the Deadly- Nadder, rose into the sky, and angled in the direction of Berk.

 **Part Two – A Secret Shared**

 _Several hours later, on Berk_ ,

When Hiccup and Astrid arrived back on Berk, a little over an hour after they left 'Rendezvous- Island', Hiccup and Astrid slid down from their saddles. Much of the return trip had passed in silence, all four of them absorbed in their thoughts.  
But, the moment Astrid's feet touched the ground, she marched up to Hiccup, and kissed him on the lips. A kiss that lasted so long, both Astrid and Hiccup had to take a moment to catch their breath before they were again able to speak.

Astrid spoke first. "What you did today, Hiccup; what you're _doing_ … you were already _amazing_ , but…" She shook her head, and let the sentence drift. Then a shudder passed through her, "I saw the cells on their ships, Hiccup; it was… they were–"

Hiccup pulled her into a hug, "I would _never_ let that happen to you, Astrid…" He pulled back, slightly, and looked her in the eyes. " _Never_."

When she looked into his eyes, Astrid saw something, deep inside of Hiccup, rise to the surface, just for a moment. As it had in the Great Hall, when he reassured first her, and then the other villagers, that, despite the Kraken- Lords' _two- thousand ships_ , everything was under control.  
Astrid leaned her head against his shoulder. It took a moment, but she finally found her voice. "I know… Everything we've been through, everything that's happened ... _You are... Amazing … Incredible_."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, " _Incredible_ , now… Does that mean it's _your turn_ to be _amazing_?"  
His words brought Astrid back to one of their previous conversations, when she'd said, " _I know I've said it before, and you'll probably get tired of hearing it long before I'll stop, but you are amazing._ " Hiccup had responded with a shrug, and the words, " _Every time you tell me I'm 'amazing', I'll tell you that you're 'incredible'… It'll work both ways, I think._ " He had also suggested, jokingly, that they could swap, if one of them got 'tired' of their word.  
Astrid couldn't help it: She laughed, and the momentary tension she'd felt, when she remembered the hostages' cells; didn't so much ' _drain_ ' out of her; as dissolve into mist, and blow away on the light wind that ruffled Hiccup's hair.

Astrid took a deep breath, than another thought occurred to her. "Chief Tyrek, Tyrone, and their men should be here, soon."  
Hiccup had told her about his and Tyrone's side-conversation, on their way back to Berk, following Hiccup's meeting with Chief Abram Grimm. At first, she'd felt a flicker of worry, but Hiccup had reassured her; saying that, with the added support of the Shivering Shores, he was confident that the secret need not spread any further than that.

 _Some time later_ ,

A little over an hour after Hiccup, Astrid, and their dragons had returned to Berk, they met Tyrek and Tyrone's boats at the docks. Apparently, Chief Tyrek had given his men their orders beforehand; most of them worked to secure their boats to the dock, and then moved on to other tasks.  
Tyrek, Tyrone, Walden – a navigator, and one of Tyrek's trusted advisors, came ashore. They exchanged a few words with Hiccup and Astrid. Then the lot of them made their way up to the Great Hall, which would be empty, at this time of day; it late enough after lunch, and too early for the cooks to be starting to prepare supper.

 _In the Great Hall_ ,

Once they entered the hall, Toothless and Stormfly curled up, a short distance from the entrance to the hall. They would inform Hiccup, if they heard the sound of footsteps approaching, or anything else that might require their attention.  
Hiccup led the others to the far end of the Great Hall, where they seated themselves around the table where the Hiccup's Council of Advisors would normally convene.

Then, first Chief Tyrek, than Tyrone, and finally: Walden, their chief- navigator, swore – in the name of Thor, that they would not disclose the secret Hiccup revealed to them.  
When the last word had been uttered, a clap of thunder echoed from somewhere above them, and a voice said, **"** _ **Your oaths have been heard; take this secret to your graves, or until The Dragon- Lord releases you from them**_ **."**

Tyrone's eyes widened, "Was that… who I think it was?"

"It was Thor, yes… And, with The Oaths Sworn, And Heard, I can continue." Hiccup paused, and took a deep breath. "I do not keep secrets lightly, but the nature of what I am about to tell you is so crucial, so sensitive, that a word of it in the wrong ears could lead to the end of everything I am trying to build… At its most basic level, and there is more to it, but: Toothless and I are living embodiments of the peace between humans and dragons; the deaths of either, or both, of us would cause the connection that opened – the day we met," Hiccup nodded to Toothless, "to dissolve… a loss that would also cause the dragons to lose the knowledge of our language, and insight into our lives, that allows us to coexist. To be blunt: Anyone who might wish to destroy that future need only fell one of us."  
He gave them a moment, to process this, and then he continued to speak. "The dragons, as a race, and the Night- Furies in particular, have taken crucial steps to safeguard my life; providing the ore for my armor, to name one way."

Tyrone frowned, "What exactly does that mean; 'providing' the ore?"

Hiccup turned to him, "Deep below the caverns of the Isle of Night, the ancestral home of the Night- Furies, there lays a particular pool of magma. For six- hundred years, when a Night- Fury realized they were nearing the final- moments of their lives, they would plunge into this pool; a ritualistic end they began to practice six centuries ago, and stopped, when they gave my the ore for my armor… One of The Elders gave it to me, a few evenings after they arrived on Berk; and asking me to 'honor the memories of their ancestors, and make their armor my own." Hiccup drew his sword, and held it up in front of him, "Those Night- Furies gave their scales for the forging of blade and armor; their fire, too," a column of blue flames swirled to life, around the blade, "they gave to the blade." A moment later, the flames died, and Hiccup returned the sword to its sheath. "And their essences, their 'souls'… all that remains of them, has also been passed on."  
Hiccup raised his arms to either side, and tendrils of shadow rose into the air. Seconds later, they resolved into the forms of four insubstantial Night- Furies. The black dragons turned to consider the new- arrivals, sitting there, gapping at them. Then each of the black dragons nodded in acknowledgment, than they dissolved back into streams of shadow, and melded back into Hiccup's armor.

Chief Tyrek shook his head, "What are they protecting, though? What is this… task, Thor assigned to you?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "Other than continuing to strengthen the peace, my most crucial task is to survive. Thor promised that, if I live out the entirety of my natural life, I will then claim the title 'Dragon- Lord; First of The Five'… The first of new generation of Asgardian- Gods; five Rider–Dragon pairs; tasked with preserving the peace between humans and dragons."  
He closed his eyes for a moment; then they snapped open, glowing a greenish yellow. Blue lines traced their path across his armor, and an aura of energy radiated out from where Hiccup sat. **"** _ **The transition has already begun; and it will end, when my mortal life does… All I need do, now, is live, and – at least, appear to – die a mortal death.**_ **"** A moment later, the blue lines faded, and Hiccup's eyes changed back to normal.

For a long moment, nobody spoke; Tyrek, Tyrone and Walden's faces were clear expressions of awed- _belief_ … There was no _disbelieving_ what Hiccup had told them, because he had also _shown_ them.  
Finally, Hiccup turned to Tyrone. "I concealed that clue about the true… ' _State'_ of my memories, in what I said during our first meeting because I want those I mean to consider for the _other_ Four Dragon Lords to be, not just strong; but also clever, able to pay close attention to detail. Lara also discovered that clue, and she is one of two people I am now considering for as a candidate for the _Fourth Dragon- Lord: The Envoy_ , who would represent the secrets of Dragon- Lore moving beyond Berks' boundaries. I am also considering someone for the _Third Dragon- Lord: The Convert_ ; and, while I have no reserves about that human or dragon, it is _possible_ that _others_ might be better suited."

Tyrek shifted, "What, exactly, are you saying; Hiccup?"

Astrid chuckled, "If I had a gold coin for every time I asked Hiccup that question!"

Hiccup grinned at Astrid, than he turned to Tyrek, and raised an eyebrow, "I'm saying," Hiccup then turned to face Tyrone, "that I'd be _most interested_ to see how well you'd do, with a dragon of your own."  
He gave a slight shrug, "Now wouldn't be the time to meet them, of course; the other Chiefs will be arriving for our next council session in a few hours, and such things should not be rushed; but still… It must, at least, be considered."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen – War of The Kraken: Wrath of The Dragons**

 **Part One – Reunion and Revelations**

 _Chief Abram Grimm's ship; morning,_

Arianna and Tanya slept in, the following morning. When they did wake up; mere minutes apart, as it happened; it took them a moment to remember where they were. When the memories of the past two days returned to them, Tanya let out a muffled sob, and the two sisters embraced.  
It took them a few minutes to regain their composure, and then they made their way up to the main deck.

They spotted their father seconds after they arrived on deck; and it took them about as long, again, to join him where he stood. Everyone was on high- alert, but nothing much happened.  
Then, perhaps an hour later, a sound reached their ears; a sound they had no difficulty in placing… The sound of an approaching Night- Fury, reached their ears. All eyes turned north, but the skies in that direction were clear. Then someone happened to look to the south, "There!"

Others turned, as a wordless cry reached their ears; one they immediately recognized. Five minutes later, the Night- Fury landed on the foredeck. There was a blur of motion, and then Sabrina was pulling her daughters into a hug. Abram was at their side an instant later, and a roar of triumph rose from every warrior of the first _fully liberated_ Southern Tribe.

Once she'd regained her composure, Sabrina began to describe her experience on the Kraken Lords' command ship, over the past day and a half.  
Part way through her account, she paused. After a moments' hesitation, she turned to her daughters, "When you were on Berk… did Hiccup say anything about _his_ parents?"

Arianna hesitated, "We met his mother, on Berk. She'd gone missing during a dragon- attack, when Hiccup was one… It's a long story, but; up until six months ago, when Hiccup and her crossed paths; they all thought she was dead."

"Six months ago; that would've been around the time Drago–" Abram's eyes widened. "You don't mean…"

Tanya nodded, "It all happened on the same day, actually... Hiccup found his mother that morning, almost twenty years after she'd gone missing; his father died that evening."

" _Oh, gods…_ " Sabrina's eyes widened, and her voice was little more than a whisper.

"Sabrina… What is it?" Abram asked, immediately, turning to her as he spoke.

Sabrina hesitated for a moment, and then turned to their daughters. "Did Hiccup happen to mention… _how_ , his father died?"  
Arianna and Tanya exchanged an uncertain look, and then shook their heads in unison. For a long moment, nobody spoke.  
Finally, Sabrina sighed and said, "When Malchior asked Hiccup what he wanted, claiming that 'everyone has their price', Hiccup said he wanted justice: for the chieftains that Drago burned alive, the first time he came north; _and for his father_ , who ' _died intercepting an attack that was meant for_ him', when Drago decided that Hiccup was a danger to him. He never said, _exactly_ , what kind of attack it was, but…"

A long silence followed this, as the listeners considered this new revelation. Albert shook his head, "Gods!" Albert turned to Abram, "So he lost his mother as a child; found her, and…"

"Lost his father the same night." Abram Grimm shook his head, "Because of Drago, who was being supported by the Kraken Lords … No wonder he's so… ' _Motivated'_."

 **'"Motivated"… Well, that** _ **is**_ **one way to put it, though there** _ **is**_ **more to it.'** Several people jumped: they'd been so focused on the conversation, they'd forgotten all about the Night- Fury, who'd flown Sabrina to their boat.

"You… you _can_ talk!" Sabrina exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Hiccup said you could, but it seemed… a lot to believe." Her husband put arm around her, reassuringly.

The dragon nodded. **'Yes, we can talk; and we've gotten that reaction a lot, too ... I should be leaving now, though; I'm expected back on Berk.'** The dragon smiled. **'You haven't told them about our "guests", from the command- ship.'** The Night- Fury turned, raising his wings in preparation to take off.

"Wait, before you go," Arianna called. "Just now, you said there was 'more to it'… Or is it something Hiccup doesn't want anyone else to know about?"

The Night- Fury sighed, and turned back to face them. **'Hiccup was looked down on, for much of his life; for no other reason but that he was a "hiccup". He put those years to use, though, training and honing his mind … After he and Toothless met, and his other abilities came to light, Hiccup began to make a name for himself.'** He fell silent for a moment. **'There were enemies, battles, but everything always came- out all right. But, when they confronted Drago…'**

"And Hiccup lost his father, but how…" Arianna said. Then her eyes widened, "Hiccup and Astrid got married, a few days before this war started; he introduced us, on Berk!"

The black- dragon inclined his head. **'Hiccup is everything that a good leader should be: patient, intelligent, and an accomplished problem- solver. But even he has a limit to what he can tolerate.'** He glanced around at the crowd, then up at the sky. **'And now I really do need to be going.'**

"One other thing." Sabrina took a few steps forward, "Thank you, for bringing me back to my family… Tell Hiccup, too."

The Night- Fury gave a silent nod. **'I will... Make sure to tell them about our 'extra- passengers', from the command- ship;** **I have a feeling the news will be…** _ **favourably received**_ **.** He opened his wings, and shot skywards; moments later, he was a dot in the otherwise empty sky.

The silence that followed lasted for almost a minute. Then Abram frowned, and turned to his wife, "Wait a minute… What's this about 'extra passengers from the command- ship'?"

Sabrina blinked, appearing momentarily confused. Then she smiled, "The Chief of Berk has taken the liberty of seizing 'lord' Bane … _and 'lord' Malcolm_." She spoke the last three words with a noticeable chill in her voice. "Also: Blackthorn is under surveillance; Hiccup intends to seize him ' _after things_ _quiet down_ ', on the front lines."  
The Night- Fury was right: the news was _very welcome_ , especially 'on the heels' their learning of Hiccup's intentions to turn over the kraken- lords to the Southern- Tribes.

 **Part Two – "Look Out Below!"**

 _The previous day, early afternoon_ ,

When Hiccup and Toothless left the Great Hall, they proceeded directly to the village square. The captains of the Berk Guard met them there. They acknowledged each other with nods, and then each of the captains provided a short briefing of their preparations so far.

Hiccup nodded in approval, and started to speak. He began with the three teams that would be involved with the retrieval operations. Unrolling the scroll with the hostage ships' location on it, and gesturing, as he spoke, Hiccup instructed the leaders of the first two teams to secure the island he'd chosen for their rendezvous point – and not to be surprised _when_ they found a family of Typhoomerangs waiting for them, there.  
Once he finished, and ensured that everything was clear, the leaders of the first three teams departed: to relay their instructions to their squads, and prepare for final- inspection.

Once they were gone, Hiccup turned to the remaining captains. "When I was talking to Abram Grimm, he informed me that the Kraken Lords always deploy an additional 'rank' of ships; sailing back and forth between their forward lines, and the ships behind that band of ocean." Hiccup nodded to two of the captains, "I want you and your teams to focus on the area between the hostage- ships and the rendezvous point; don't be too direct, or they may start to wonder why we're so interested in that area of ocean … Fly over, high over, their subjugated forces; and directly at the first patrol- team you see. Don't take out the entire patrol, and don't immobilize the boats; I want word to get back to the Kraken Lords: get them good and nervous, keep them guessing as to what we're trying to do. When you finish with a patrol, fly north until you're out of sight. _Then_ turn back south, and look for _another_ patrol. And bring some wild dragons with you, too; they'll enjoy a little target- practice."  
Several of the captains chuckled; all inclined their heads in short nods of acknowledgment. Hiccup grinned, "I'll meet you, and your teams, in half an hour, for final- check… No need to delay, right." Another nod from each captain, then they hurried to remount their dragons.

Hiccup and Toothless watched the dragons rise into the air. Then Toothless turned to face Hiccup. **'Your father** _ **would**_ **be proud of you, Hiccup…'** Then the black- dragon growled.

Before Toothless could say 'it', Hiccup interjected, ' _It wasn't your fault, bud… Neither of us could have prevented what happened_.'

Toothless gave a slight shrug, and spoke so that only Hiccup would hear. **'Be that as it may, Drago could only die once… He deserved worse than he got.'**

Hiccup nodded, but said nothing. He was jolted out of his reverie when someone called his name. He blinked, and turned around; Snotlout was coming towards him, scowling.  
Before Hiccup could speak, Snotlout said, "What's the big idea? Everyone else is getting their instructions, what about Hookfang and me? You think we're just going to sit this one out? No way: Not. Happening!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "Snotlout; you've _really_ got to learn how to _listen_ … I _specifically_ said 'everyone who's fit to fight, and not on patrol, assume you'll be joining the forward lines'." He gestured after the Berk Guard captains, "I gave my instructions to the captains of the Berk Guard, and they're getting the others organized; giving them their instructions _now_ , at the big clearing near the Dragon Academy … That's where _the two of you should be_."

Snotlout's eyes widened, his mouth forming a silent 'oh'. Then he turned, and ran over to Hookfang. "Come on, Hookfang; we're going to be late!"  
Hookfang rolled his eyes at Hiccup and Toothless; then, once Snotlout was in his saddle; rose into the sky.

Shaking his head, Hiccup clambered onto Toothless's back, and the Night- Fury rose into the sky; they had a little over twenty- minutes before they needed to meet up with the members of the Berk Guard.  
Both of them found it calming to fly; and, since both were aware of the other through their connection, the feeling was magnified. Even a short flight was restorative, for both of them.

 _Two hours later, ten miles south of the Shivering Shores and a mile to the east,_

The Kraken- Patrol Fleet was sailing east, on yet another circuit along the swath of clear, blue, and empty, ocean. To the north: Nothing near by. To the south: The same.  
Then, distant noises reaching his ears, the lookout turned east, the direction in which they were sailing. His eyes bulged: A flock of dragons; two Deadly- Nadders, a Monstrous- Nightmare, and several others he couldn't identify, were attacking another one of their patrols! The man blinked, remembered himself, and shouted, " _DRAGONS! DRAGONS, TO THE EAST_!"

"Dragons to the east; _whoop, whoop_!" said a voice to his right.

"Dragons to the west; _whoop, whoop_!" said a voice to his left. "And…"

The Kraken- lookout started, and looked to his left. He found himself staring at a lanky teenage boy, sitting on one neck on a Hideous Zippleback. The boy was staring at him, expectantly.  
The man gulped, and looked to his right. A teenage girl, alike enough to the boy for them to be twins, sat on another Zippleback head. She was looking at him, expectantly.  
He sighed, "This is just _****ing perfect_." He uttered a wordless shout, and leapt out of the lookout's perch, and into the ocean below.

"Humph," Ruffnut snorted. "No appreciation for the arts!"

"You said it!" Tuffnut said, looking disgusted. "Now, as they aught to say everywhere: Barf, Belch; light-eth them up!"

"Hey: that's my line … sort of!" Snotlout shouted, from somewhere above them. " _Look out below_!" Ruff, Tuff, and their Zippleback looked up, and then shot sharply to the left, as Hookfang shot past them.  
Snotlout chuckled, "You snooze, you lose! Heh-Heh… Hookfang; light them up!"

"Hey; this one was ours!" Tuffnut protested, as Hookfang breathed a torrent of flames across the boat.  
The rigging caught fire, and crewmen shouted in alarm; running across the deck and leaping overboard, at the first opportunity. Those that made it bobbed to the surface, a moment later: blinking saltwater out of their eyes, and grumbling amongst themselves.

Snotlout rolled his eyes, "We're here to destroy the patrols, not start a choir! You want to destroy a boat: _do it_ – or _we will_!" He winked at Ruffnut, "If I promised to let you have the next one, would you–"  
A sudden ' _thunk_ ' marked the end of Snotlout's sentence, as Hookfang angled to one side; shooting around the mast, just close enough to whack Snotlout's head against it.

"Here's our chance!" Ruffnut called to her brother. "Lets take the shot!" A moment later, a torrent of flame rippled from their Zippleback, enveloping the Kraken- ship.  
"Hey, I've just had an idea… Next patrol, lets try to grab a few supply crates, for the Speed- Stingers!" She shrugged, "Maybe we can get them to freeze Snotlout again; I love it when they freeze Snotlout!" – Tuffnut nodded in agreement.

Snotlout shook himself, recovering from his daze. He glared at The Twins, suspiciously, "What are the two of you muttering about?"

Ruffnut and Tuffnut exchanged smirks. Then Ruffnut turned to Snotlout, "We were thinking that maybe, if you brought them some extra food, the Speed- Stingers might not sting you anymore."

Snotlout thought about that for a moment, then shrugged. "Worth a try! Ok… Next patrol we find; we'll make a grab for some crates, you torch the boat!"

 _One hour later,_

Snotlout glared at Ruff and Tuff, through the thin veil of smoke that rose from his singed: eyebrows, shirt, hair, and clothes. "Ok. Let me clarify: On the _next boat_ ; Hookfang and I will make a go for some crates. Then, _once I get off_ , you torch it… Clear?"

Ruff and Tuff exchanged sinister grins, then turned to face Snotlout and Hookfang; Snotlout looked irritated, Hookfang looked like he was struggling not to laugh.  
"Oh… Is that how you wanted to do it?" Tuffnut asked, his eyes widening.  
"Sorry; but you should've said so!" Ruffnut said, "We're just trying to help."

Snotlout huffed, and began applying a salve to his burns; something he seemed to have to do every other day. "I swear Trader Johann's _doubled_ the price of this burn salve," he grumbled, as he worked.

 _Three miles to the west_ ,

Three miles to the west; Captain Marcus – of the Berk Guard, and his Deadly- Nadder, Skyspike, led their force against their second Kraken- patrol. They took their job especially seriously: They were stationed at the boarder of the 'safe- zone' Hiccup needed, to ensure that the secondary- location for the inbound- hostages would remain 'clean'.  
Their group included: six Deadly- Nadders, two of which had riders; five Monstrous- Nightmares, two with riders; and, swimming beneath the waves, five Scauldrons.

They'd attacked each patrol in much the same way, as per their instructions: The Deadly- Nadders moved in first – "Don't appear too anxious to clear them out, or they'll wonder why we're so interested in the area", Hiccup had said. "Target their rigging, but don't immobilize them; allow the ships to leave, when they try… We need the area _clear_."  
The Monstrous- Nightmares boiled into view about five minutes after the Nadders had first engaged the patrol. "When you move in, make noise; set yourselves on fire, make them see you…" Hiccup had told them. "It's your job to destroy the last of their courage, and send them running." – The Monstrous- Nightmares, who'd seemed a little disappointed to be 'late- arrivals' to the fight, seemed pleased to hear that.

They had stuck to the plan, and, even as Captain Marcus was finishing reviewing it, in his mind, he saw movement in the enemy- patrol. He grinned to himself; it had happened the same way, the first time.  
Ten ships formed a 'knot'; sterns together, bows facing outwards. Enough men remained on each of those boats to man the weapons, while the rest crowded onto the other twenty boats. The decks of the first ten ships surged to life; catapults were loaded and launched, loaded and launched… The decks of the other ships became almost deathly still, with no more activity than was needed to raise the sails, and get underway.  
' _That's right_ ', Marcus thought to himself. ' _Slip away, quietly, while we focus on the_ _obvious_ _threat… Don't worry; we "won't notice" you._ ' – He resisted the urge to chuckle, and, not for the first time, he marvelled at how a boy, a young- man, Hiccup's age could've become so adept at strategy.

 _Four miles further to the west,_

" _FIRE; GET ME A BUCKET_!" two dozen voices shouted at once; about thirty seconds after Fishlegs and his team of Gronkle- riders, and wild- Gronkles, lay siege to their third boat.

"Great shot, Meatlug! The rest of you, too!" Fishlegs chuckled. Turning to the warrior who'd been shouting insults up at them, he called, "Who's ' _too slow_ ' now?"  
The man glared up at them, and Fishlegs's eyes narrowed. He turned to the other Gronkles, "I think _someone_ has 'a little' too much free- time on his hands; let's give them _another_ round!" On his signal, several of the wild- Gronkles dropped back into firing- range.

 **Part Three – Desperate Measures**

 _The Kraken Lords' Command Ship; three hours after Hiccup's departure,_

The main 'hall' of the Kraken Lords' Command Ship, though packed, was as silent as a tomb. The warriors High- Lord Malchior had sent topside were beginning to trickle back below deck.  
Once the last of them had returned, and they'd taken an additional three minutes to consolidate their reports, two of them came forward. It was clear, from their expressions, that the news was not good.

"My lords: We… We… Bas–based on our most up- to- date reports," the man gulped. The man next to him was pale, and appeared unsteady on his feet.

"Is… is it _that_ bad?" Emric was trembling so noticeably, he might've spent half the morning soaking in a tub of ice- water.

The first man nodded, "It is, My Lords; the… the Dragon- Master has bypassed our subjugated- forces, entirely, and launched direct attacks against _our_ middle- guard… Ninety of the two- hundred ships, in our first- wave, have been sunk. Of the ninety- nine that remain, forty are in-need of minor repairs, and twenty are in need of major repairs. Some… Some are lucky to have made it back, at all." He hesitated, then added, "There are also the eleven ships in Lord Blackthorn's command… Lord Bane took ten ships to join him, and returned with only his own. So far as we know, all eleven remain whole and undamaged; though we didn't include them in our tally, as they are not within our reach, at present."

Lord Tristan's eyebrow began to twitch. "So, to summarize: Lords Malik, Malcolm, _and Bane_ have been seized by the Dragon Master. _Ninety_ ships have been sunk, and _sixty_ are in need of repair, to some degree… That leaves _fifty ships_ ready for battle; the same number Lord Bane lead against Berk!" He shook his head, "And that's not counting the loss of our hostages; those we held here, and the hostage- ships, themselves…"

"Has he _truly seized them_ , though?" asked Lord Ralden. "Perhaps he hopes to scare us into _leading him_ to their location, just as he must have used Lord Bane to find us, here?"  
A flicker of uncertain optimism flickered, around the room; but it was not to last long.

"We cannot take the risk," Lord Tarbek declared, anxiously. "We must know for certain! If the Dragon Master can bypass our forward lines; launch attacks; and, even possibly, have taken control of our hostage ships… How much longer will we retain control of the tribes we forced into subservience? Even now he could be forging an alliance with The Fallen Chiefs!"

"We cannot stay! We must fall back, to the Iron Islands! There we will be–" A grunt of humourless laughter cut off Lord Darrin's comment.

"If he can convince The Fallen Chiefs to back him, they can legitimize his actions beyond the boarders of the Archipelagos," High- Lord Malchior said, his words slow and ponderous. "No… There is only one way forward: One secret we know the Dragon- Master has not uncovered; that only we know, and that no Kraken Lord would ever reveal."  
He turned his eyes onto the two men standing before the High- Table. "How long until the rest of our ships arrive in the Archipelagos?"

The current that moved through the hall was not 'confidence'; it was smallest, smallest flicker of what might, possibly, blossom into hope. Not for conquest, or victory: but for there own survival. After the Dragon Master's visit, survival seemed the greatest treasure in the entire known world.

The man, the only one of the two, who'd yet to speak, said, "They… they should arrive in the morning, the day after tomorrow; if we send for them now."

"Send for them, immediately," High- Lord Malchior confirmed. "And instruct all ships to fall- back to the hostage- ships. We will learn the truth of the Dragon Master's claim, and await the arrival of our full strength."  
Once High- Lord Malchior had announced his decision, there was nothing else to be said. Both men bowed; turned, and left: to relay his orders to what remained of their force.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen – War of The Kraken: The 'Calm' Before The Storm**

 **Part One – Southern Guests**

 _In the Great Hall of Berk,_

The silence that followed Hiccup's revelation lasted for close to two minutes. Then Tyrek found his voice. "Do you actually mean…?" His question went unfinished.

"I'm looking for possible candidates," Hiccup said, simply. "I can't make any promises; as to who they'll be, though: all of this is still in the early stages, after all."

Walden leaned forward in his chair, "What about the Second, and the Fifth Dragon- Lords? You've mentioned the first, third, and fourth, but not the other two."

Hiccup grinned, "Astrid and Stormfly will be the Second of The Five; The Lieutenants." He put an arm around Astrid; she smiled, leaned against him, "Some may call my decision biased, but I assure you: they have _earned_ it. I've needed their help to get to this point, and that's not about to change. As for The Fifth Dragon Lord, I honestly don't know, at this point.  
Hiccup spent another ten minutes talking to Tyrek, Tyrone, and Walden: explaining what needed to be explained, and doing his best to answer their questions. At that point, their conversation began to draw to a close.

Just as they were getting to their feet, the sounds of approaching footsteps, and voices, reached their ears. Toothless got to his feet, and stepped outside the hall. He re-entered, a few moments later, and loped down the hall to join them.  
 **'Hiccup: The first group of former- hostages is on their way up, and the Typhoomerangs just left, to pick up the second group.'** Toothless snorted. **'We really need to find something else to call them: we can't keep using "former- hostages".'**

"How about 'guests'," Hiccup suggested; as he rose to his feet, and made his way forward. Astrid followed, close behind him. Tyrek and Tyrone also came forward.

Valka was first into the hall, Cloudjumper close behind her. Hiccup grinned, "Mom: I didn't think you'd make it back in time."

Valka pulled Hiccup into a quick hug; drew back, and clapped him on the shoulder. "I wasn't sure I would be, but I'm glad I am; I've missed too much of your life, as it is." She gestured behind her with one arm, "In any case: after you extended an offer of sanctuary, they all wanted to see Berk for themselves. We took our time, on the way back; so you had some time to do what you needed to do."

"Good to hear," Hiccup said, nodding. "We can start to get them settled, then, before the other chiefs arrive."

Valka's smile widened, "Actually, they're hoping to sit- in on the next council session."

"If it's alright," Brianna, who'd just entered the hall, said hurriedly. "We wouldn't want to…"

Hiccup smiled, and nodded; gesturing for them to come in. He waved a hand, to catch the attention of a near- by Terrible- Terror.  
Once the dragon had perched on his shoulder, Hiccup said, "Ggrrr-awk-awk-vrrr-reee; kal-rah-rak, rah-rak, grr. Kra-gra-vreep-gralh." The Terrible- Terror nodded, and flew off.  
Hiccup turned back to the new arrivals, and found a small crowd of women and girls: all staring at Hiccup, as though he'd… well: started speaking gibberish.  
Hiccup rolled his eyes; and turned to Astrid, who'd just joined them. "You… uh, forgot to tell them I could speak 'dragon', didn't you."

"Oh, right: I _knew_ I'd forgotten something!" Astrid shrugged: grinning, a little sheepishly. "Guess I've just gotten used to it."

"And it never occurred to me to tell anyone," Valka smiled, wryly. "Now that the dragons are all talking."

Toothless stepped forward. **'The connection that formed between Hiccup and myself allowed for an exchange of knowledge, crucial for establishing a lasting peace. We project what we want to say, to those we want to hear it.'** He glanced around, at the new arrivals. **'I hope I've not alarmed anyone, unduly.'**

Hiccup, chuckled, shook his head, and turned back to the new arrivals. "It's a long story; probably one for another time, though."

 **Part Two – The Council Reconvenes**

 _Two hours after noon_ ,

The other chiefs of the Archipelagos began to arrive on Berk perhaps a quarter of an hour after Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Stormfly, Tyrek, Tyrone, and Walden returned to the Berk docks. Once most of the chieftains had arrived, they set off in the direction of the Great Hall.

They arrived to find it crowded, but orderly; much as it had been the first time the Council of Chiefs had convened. Berks' newest guests had gathered near the foot of the hall; some were standing, others sat on benches. All were talking, excitedly, amongst themselves; and were quick to clear a path; when the northern- chiefs reached the doors to the Hall.

Once the last of the chiefs, their guards, and advisors, had taken their seats; Chief Tyrek officially called The Council to Order.  
They were in the Great Hall _of Berk_ , but Chief Tyrek had convened the council. Traditions held; besides, they all knew that Hiccup would soon be taking a leading role.

"Well," Marcus Grayclaw; the chief who'd challenged Hiccup on whether he could do as he claimed, the previous meeting; glanced towards the foot of the hall, then at Hiccup. "I take it you've found the Kraken Lords' hostage- ships."  
Marcus Grayclaw was half a head taller than Hiccup; his hair was a dirty- blonde, as was his beard. He was in his mid-forties, and had what one might call the 'standard' Viking build.

Hiccup nodded; and, looking around the table, as he spoke; said, "My _information_ was good: pass along my thanks to your navigators, if you would." Marcus blinked, and nodded, as did several of the other chiefs. "The rest of the credit goes to Astrid, Heather; and those who were with them. I'll admit: I was… ' _Elsewhere_ ', at the time; acting on new information." Hiccup smiled, "The past few days have been… ' _Eventful'_."  
As Hiccup said 'eventful'; a low ripple of chuckles, and a few brief muttered comments; moved across the villagers in the hall. There were fewer villagers, now, compare to when The Council had first convened: Many were out on patrol; monitoring activity on the front lines, or finishing their 'work' on the Kraken- patrols.

"' _Eventful_ '," Chief Ephraim mused, considering Hiccup, as he spoke. "My men and I saw what appeared to be pieces of decking, and other debris, floating in the water; on our way here… Part of your ' _eventful_ ' account, no doubt?"

"We had a bit of a skirmish here," Hiccup admitted. "If you'll believe it, the kraken- lords sent _fifty_ ships against Berk; on the misguided belief that our sending dragons to the front lines left our defenses weakened. It… didn't end well, for them: all they managed to do was entertain the dragons for a few hours, and lose most of the ships they sent."

Chief Ephraim leaned forwards in his chair, "Were you able to take captives?"

Hiccup nodded, "There were two separate encounters. Between the two, we took twenty- five of their warriors, and _three_ Kraken- Lords."

Chief Thommen's head jerked in Hiccup's direction, "Blackthorn?"

"Not yet, though he should be joining us soon." Hiccup replied, turning to face Chief Thommen, as he spoke. "I was going to have him … ' _picked- up_ ' sooner; but another… ' _Opportunity_ ' caught my attention."

Tyrek chuckled, "Your southern- informant, you mean."

"Southern- informant?" Chief Marcus asked, his eyes flicking between Hiccup and Tyrek.

"We took down, and sent in, our reference- point the morning after we got into position," Tyrek explained. "Thought it was just luck; until Chief Hiccup, here, showed up the following afternoon: with another 'suspicion'." He turned to Hiccup, giving him the floor.

Hiccup nodded an acknowledgment, and picked up where Tyrek left off. "During our last meeting, I described 'lord' Emric's visit to Berk; including how he called me by name. The information was, clearly, brought south by the remnants of the force Drago Bludvist brought north, on his second expedition." Hiccup smiled, "Follow that logic a little further, and one might start wondering: ' _why would the dragons be holding back?_ ' Dragons lead to Berk; and Berk leads to me, and that question could easily become ' _why would I ask them to_?'"  
Hiccup let the questions hang there. Giving the others in the hall time to ponder it.

The atmosphere in the room changed; as, one by one, the chieftains realized what Hiccup and Tyrek were telling them.  
Chief Ephraim was the one to say it aloud. "You're saying that someone, on one of those boats; figured out that you were trying to find the hostage- ships, and deliberately sent a message to point the way?"

Hiccup nodded, "Sort of... Abram Grimm, the chief of that tribe, thought I was looking for their command- ship, but close enough. I decided to pay a visit to his ship; see if he had anything else he'd like to pass along." He chuckled, " _'did he_ ' … Names, temperaments, and a few character- notes on each of the kraken- lords; details about their 'middle- ground' patrol formations; a few noteworthy points about the hostage- ships, and a much better idea of what kind of numbers to expect. Using that information, I've been able to coordinate a series of simultaneous attacks, on these patrols. They've been… quite effective. On a related note: I have already arranged for, and received confirmation that, his wife and both of his daughters have arrived, safely, on his ship."

Tyrone leaned forward in his chair, "And your suspicions about a kraken- strategist?"

"They have someone who they _call_ a 'strategist'," Hiccup replied, "but 'lord' Bane is no threat. His _grandfather_ was the one who designed their conquest- method, and Bane is nowhere near his level."

Tyrek frowned, "How can you be so certain he isn't a threat?"

"The 'skirmish' I mentioned, earlier? Fifty ships: under the joint- command of 'lords' Bane and Malik: the latter was captured immediately afterwards, while my scouts tracked Bane to their command- ship." Hiccup glanced around the hall; every eye was on him. "Before they left, Abram Grimm's daughters; Arianna and Tanya; provided me with information on the layout of their command- ship, and informed me that they kept additional hostages there as well ... That's where Toothless and I were, while the 'main extraction' was in- progress. We brought 'lords' Bane and Malcolm with us, when we left: for a total of three captured kraken- lords. Oh, and speaking of 'captured kraken- lords'…"  
For the next few minutes; Hiccup explained the situation regarding 'judgment' of the kraken- lords, and his proposal for a solution. – As was the case with his suggestion for a battle- plan, his proposal received unanimous agreement.

A moment later, a Terrible- Terror landed on the arm of his chair; turned to Hiccup, and began growling, and trilling: delivering her message.  
When she finished, Hiccup smiled. "Excellent news," he gestured around the room, "why don't you do the honours?"

The Terrible- Terror puffed out her chest, proudly. **'All Kraken- positions are in** _ **full- retreat**_ **. They appear to be converging on the coordinates of their hostage-** _ **less**_ **ships, as a rendezvous- point.'**  
A roar of approval greeted the news. When it faded, and silence returned to the hall, everyone's attention returned to Hiccup.

"They are in _retreat_ , that does not mean they are defeated," Chief Hiccup pointed out, to the silent hall. "You see: A few hours after the skirmish, I had 'lord' Malik brought to this hall. I confronted him with another one of my 'suspicions'; one that, due to its possible implications; I wanted to confirm, before I presented it. And Malik did, _unintentionally_ , confirm it."

For a long moment, nobody spoke. Finally, Chief Marcus Grayclaw asked, "And what 'suspicion' would this be?"

"When Emric came to Berk, he admitted that the kraken- lords had been backing Drago Bludvist," Hiccup began. "I told Malik I 'suspected' each kraken- lord has a personal, fleet of warships. That each gave Drago a portion of their fleet; my thought was a tenth, and that turned out to be correct; before turning their focus to replenishing their numbers. " Hiccup paused for a moment, to let them process this.  
"Drago came north with one- hundred and ninety- five ships: divide that thirteen ways, and each lord would have given him fifteen ships. Multiply that by ten, and you'd get the full size of each lords' fleet: one- hundred fifty… added together: nineteen- hundred and fifty."  
The Great Hall of Berk was as silent as a tomb; even the newly- liberated southerners appeared stunned.

" _Nineteen- hundred and fifty ships_?" Chief Thommen burst out.

"'Well... _High- lord_ ' Malchior _started out_ with an additional fifty; him being the 'high- kraken, and all; so the total was two- thousand," Hiccup said, as calm as he'd been when he started. "I believe it's _his personal fleet_ my strike- teams are currently disassembling." He looked around the hall; the members of his tribe, present in the hall; were a little wide-eyed, but calmer then the other occupants.  
"The situation requires attention, but it is not as bad as you think. The second time Drago came north, he had a particular target in mind: The Alpha's Sanctuary, the home of The Northern Alpha. Drago had, somehow, managed to enslave a dragon of the same species; used him to control the dragons he enslaved. He found the sanctuary; and his Challenger succeeded in killing The White Sentinel, Drago had taught his Challenger to _cheat_. However: when he came here, to Berk, his Challenger was overthrown; and another dragon claimed the title 'Alpha'." Toothless came to stand next to him, and Hiccup put a hand on the black- dragon's shoulder. "The _New Alpha of The North_ ," Hiccup said, "is a friend to Berk, a strong supporter of peace between humans and dragons, and a _close,_ _personal_ friend, of mine."

' **When last this council met,'** Toothless said, **'I asked you to fight with us; that time has come.'** He rose onto his hind legs, extending his wings as far as they would go. Then, speaking with his thoughts, and in the language of dragons, he roared, **'DRAGONS: PREPARE. FOR. BATTLE! PREPARE. FOR. WARRR!'**  
And every dragon; in the Great Hall of Berk, roared, with Their Alpha.  
A moment later, the humans overcame their shock; and bellowed in approval.

 **Part Three – The Fifth Dragon- Lord**

 _That night_ ,

By the time Hiccup and Astrid turned in for the night, Hiccup was exhausted; he was asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow. Just as quickly, he found himself in a dream.  
White mist swirled around him, just as it had after The Battle of The Red- Death. Then the mist began to pull back, as Hiccup had somehow known it would.

Ten figures stood before him: five would have passed for human, had they not been ten feet tall; five were dragons, of proportions to match their riders, though the mist prevented Hiccup from getting a good look. The Rider, at the head of the group; wore black dragon- scale armour, and a helmet, shaped in the likeness of a Night- Fury's head. The dragon, at his side, was a Night- Fury. **"** _ **I am you, as you will one day be**_ **,"** he said.

The next figure stepped forward, clad in brilliant blue armour; the color of which matched the scales of the larger- then- life Deadly- Nadder, standing next to her. **"** _ **Hiccup,**_ **"** Astrid's voice emanated from beneath the helm of The Second Dragon Lord. **"** _ **You won't regret this; I promise.**_ **"** Then the first two Dragon- Lords, and their dragons, moved to either side.

The Third, and Fourth, Dragon Lords did not speak; and their dragons were concealed, in the mist. Silently, they stepped aside, allowing The Fifth Pair to pass between them.  
Hiccup's eyes widened: Unlike the first four Dragon- Lords and their Dragons, The Fifth Pair seemed to have next- to- no substance. They were as shadows, and the voice that came forth was very faint. " _I am not yet born. My title, and my story; will much depend on you … Father._ "

The white mist swirled around him, again, and the next thing he knew; Hiccup was sitting bolt upright, in bed; breathing hard. His sudden motion woke Astrid; she sat up, yawning, and looked at him. Her eyes widened; she threw off the covers, and knelt next to him. "Hiccup; are you alright?"

Hiccup took a deep breath, and nodded. "I just had… some kind of dream- vision." He turned to Astrid: his wife. "Astrid … The Dragon Lords; I… I saw them: all five!"

Astrid's eyes widened, "You saw… Do you know who any of them are?"

"Not exactly: they all wore suits of armour, and helmets with the visors down; and I couldn't get a good look at their dragons," Hiccup said. "I recognized my voice, and yours, though."

"You recognized _our_ voices; you mean… Did ' _I_ ' say something, too?" Astrid asked, surprise evident in her voice.

Hiccup placed his hands on Astrid's shoulders; skin on skin, and their eyes met. "You said ' _Hiccup; you won't regret this, I promise_ '." There was a brief pause, then Hiccup said, "Astrid; you _have earned_ your position, I hope you _believe_ that."

After a brief silence, Astrid said, "It is a little hard to believe, at times. I mean: _this is huge_ … you said it yourself, after you got your memories back."

"I know what you mean," Hiccup said, smiling. "But whatever comes our way, we won't be facing it alone."

Astrid smiled and nodded, "I know… I've got you; you've got me; and we've both got Stormfly and Toothless." As she spoke, she shivered a little. Turning, she pulled the covers back up, and snuggled up next to Hiccup.

"There's more, Astrid," Hiccup told her. "The Third and Fourth Dragon- Lords never spoke, but _The Fifth_ …" Hiccup kissed her on her right cheek. "It was faint, I couldn't tell if the voice was male or female; but… The Fifth Dragon- Lord said he, or she, hadn't been born yet … Astrid; The Fifth Dragon- Lord _called me_ ' _Father_ '."

Astrid's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. " _Oh, my gods_ …" She smiled, her eyes glistening.

 _ **To Be Continued**_ **...**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen – War of The Kraken: Bane of the Kraken Lords**

 **Part One – The Captive Lords**

 _That morning; in Berks' jail_ ,

It had been years since the jail, on Berk, had held more than a few 'tenants' at a time; even then, it was rarely for more than a few days. Now twenty- five Kraken- warriors filled three of the cells; and 'lord' Malik sat, huddled, in a fourth.  
They'd been there a full day, now; but, aside from the time Malik had been summoned to the Great Hall, and the times someone brought food and water; they'd been left to themselves.  
The warriors' spoke to one another, in low voices. Occasionally glancing, uneasily, at Lord Malik: who hadn't said a word, since returning to his cell. More troubling, still, was the wild, hunted look in his eyes.

"It's not natural," one man muttered. "Dragons 'talking'; the way they answered when _he_ called them." He shook his head.

One of his cellmates grunted, "The way _he_ fought, too; no human should be able to move that fast." The speaker glanced in Lord Malik's direction, and lowered his voice. "Then there's Lord Malik, and Lord Emric. What could–"

A third man glared at them, and snorted. "Bah; _the boy_ got lucky, that's all… You'll see: Lord Bane will–"

Before the third man could finish his sentence, a wailing shriek reached their ears: the sound of approaching Night- Furies. A moment later, came the sound of approaching footsteps, and a familiar voice.  
"Two more, eh?" The smith, Gobber, chuckled. "Right, then: in you go!" As he spoke, the outer- door opened, and several people entered. The first two wore elaborately embroidered robes, one of them was using a thick plank of wood to keep his weight off his right foot; the third was Gobber, and two more men from Berk behind him.

A moment later, one of the warriors, in the cell nearest the door, swore. " _It… It can't be! Lord … Lord Bane!_ "

Those words had an immediate effect. In the span of a few seconds, the Kraken- warriors were on their feet: watching, in disbelief, as Lords Bane and Malcolm were marched past their cells. Gobber unlocked and opened the door to Malik's cell, motioned them inside; then closed and locked it behind them.

Lord Bane glared at the smith, through the bars. "Don't think we're done … I may have underestimated your 'dragon- master', but _this war is far from over_!"

Gobber chuckled. "It's _a lot closer_ to 'over' than you think!" He nodded to Malik, "Ask him; he knows it." The smith gave the door to the cell a yank, to ensure that the lock was in place; then he, and those with him, turned and left.

When the door closed, behind them, Malik lifted his head. "Lord Bane, Lord Malcolm." His voice was hollow, flat; the voice of one who knew he was doomed.

"What was _that_ supposed to mean?" Lord Bane demanded, rounding on Malik, and gesturing after Gobber.

"We have _severely underestimated_ Hiccup: he's more powerful than Drago ever was, and… and he knows where the hostage- ships are; he received his last three reference- points while I was in the great- hall." Malik said, flatly. "His armor is _made of_ Night- Fury scales–"

"We _already know_ that." Bane nodded to Malcolm, "Anything _else_?"

Malik shot Bane an irritated look, and continued. "The armor, the sword they're … they're ' _alive_ '. The Night- Furies who 'gave their scales': they're _still alive, somehow, inside_ the metal! The fire from his sword, the blade returning to his hand: _they did that_! " He shook his head, and took a deep breath. "I'm getting ahead of myself."  
He took a deep breath; then, for the next ten minutes; he described the events that had transpired, while he was in the Great Hall of Berk.

Bane swore, " _Hiccup_ 's hijacked our conquest- method: he's been using _our own system_ against us, right from the beginning." His foot throbbed, and he grimaced.

" _Shadow Night- Furies came out of his armor_?" Malcolm's voice was hoarse, and barely more than a whisper. – The silence that followed went unbroken, for a long time.

 _Two hours after noon; in the Great Hall_ ,

Before the echoes of the dragons' roars, and humans' bellows, had faded to silence; twelve un-partnered dragons unfurled their wings, and through the doors, rising into the sky. The humans knew, without being told; that they were going to carry word of The Alpha's Declaration of War, to the Wild Dragons of the Archipelagos.

Several minutes passed in silence, then Chief Gregor cleared his throat. "Just how many dragons are we talking about, here?"

' **The past few centuries have taken a heavy toll on our kind,'** Toothless began. **'Due, in part, to "encounters" with humans; but even more so to The Devourer: the Red- Death who forced so many of our kind to hunt for her … Between the two, we've lost thousands, these past few centuries.'** He paused for a moment, thinking. **'Our numbers have grown, somewhat, since we first made peace; but many now care for hatchlings, and some must remain behind, to defend their roosts. I would expect between seven and nine hundred, plus a hundred and fifty of my kin.'**

Before anyone could respond to this, the sound of approaching Night- Furies reached their ears. A moment later, two of the black dragons shot through the doors, and into the hall. The dragon in the lead was carrying a human, clad in elaborately embroidered robes. As with 'lords' Bane and Malcolm, the Night- Fury had decided to carry him upside down.  
The dragon dropped the figure in a heap; about twenty feet from the table where the chiefs were gathered, and both dragons set down, a short distance away.

A satisfied smile appeared on Hiccup's face, "'Lord' Blackthorn, I presume."

" _Who wants to know_?" A gruff, heavily accented voice demanded, as the figure struggled to disentangle his robes, and rise to his feet. – The briefest glance at the expressions on the faces of Chief Thommen, Leanne, and Lara was all the confirmation anyone needed: this _was_ 'lord' Blackthorn.  
Blackthorn rose to his feet and looked around. His face was rugged; his nose looked as though it had been broken several times, and healed badly both times. He was several inches shorter than Chief Thommen: heavyset, and muscular. His wiry black beard covered the lower half of his face; and he had a cold, unsettling look in his eyes.  
Those eyes quickly zeroed in on Hiccup, and he sneered. "Huh; the _so-called_ 'Dragon- Master', I assume ... Drago must've _laughed himself to death_."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow; and, in his usual calm voice, said, "From his expression, I'm _pretty sure_ Drago died _wetting himself_ ; dragons can be _quite intimidating_ , if they want to be. And, given that _you're standing_ in-front of, and between, _two Night- Furies_ , you _might_ want to mind your manners – just a thought."  
Several people laughed, and more joined in: when Blackthorn turned, _saw_ the Night- Furies; tried to take a few hurried steps away from them, tripped on his robes, and went down.  
"I think that's as close to ' _greetings_ ' as we're going to get; but perhaps _a few_ quick introductions." Gesturing several places to his right, Hiccup continued in a noticeably cooler tone. "I understand you've already … ' _met_ ' Chief _Thommen, and his family_ ; this will be a less- than- pleasant reunion, for you."

"' _Less- than- pleasant'_ ; that's _one way_ to put it." Chief Thommen said. As he spoke, he put an arm around Leanne, and a hand on Lara's shoulder. When Blackthorn's eyes landed on them, his face turned the color of snow. " _Hello, 'my lord'_ ," Thommen continued, his words as cold as the air off of a glacier. " _Imagine meeting you here_."

"And if you'd turn around, ' _lord_ ' Blackthorn," Hiccup said, gesturing toward the opposite end on the hall. "You _may_ spot a few _more_ familiar faces."  
As he spoke, there was a small flurry of activity, at the foot of the hall: as a number of _former- hostages_ ; including Arya and Alana; moved to the front of the group.  
When Blackthorn turned, and began to recognize them; his face went from white, to an unhealthy shade of gray. They noticed the change, almost immediately; and, though their expressions remained stony, there was a noticeable change in their posture and bearing. They were finally able to face their 'monster'. And this time, he was afraid of them; of _their_ being _here_ , and what it meant.

Blackthorn turned to face the Northern Chiefs, "How… how have you done this?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, and gestured around the table. " _We've_ done _quite a lot_ , actually. So: you're going to have to be _a little more specific_." More chuckles. "Gobber, Eret, and… Sven: I think it's time for the _other_ kraken- lords we've captured to join us ... If you would."  
The three men, and dragons, gave brief nods of acknowledgment, and promptly left the hall.

" _Other_ kraken- lords?" Blackthorn asked, glowering at Hiccup. "What game are you playing, _boy_? The rest of Our Council is far beyond your reach!"

"A lot has happened since your ' _visit_ ' to our village, Blackthorn," Thommen said, his voice deceptively calm. He turned first to Chief Tyrek, who had called for The Council to convene; then Hiccup, who was the last to speak.  
Both nodded, formally giving Chief Thommen 'the floor'. Thommen turned to Blackthorn, and started to talk.

 _Ten minutes later_ ,

Just as Chief Thommen was concluding his account, the sound of distant footsteps; growing steadily louder; reached their ears. When he saw the captive's faces, 'lord' Blackthorn's eyes bulged; he tried to speak, but no words came out.

"Moving from left to right, we have 'lords': Malik, Malcolm, and…" Hiccup frowned, though his eyes glinted. "Don't tell me, I know this: 'lord'… _Bran_."

" _Brane_ _!_ " Lord Bane corrected, irritably; then he realized _his_ mistake, and backpedaled. " _Blaine_!" His eyes bulged, " _Blame_!"

Hiccup placed a hand to his forehead, making a sound part sigh, part groan. He turned to 'lords' Blackthorn, Malcolm, and Malik. "Could one of you _please_ tell me this is some kind of … _identity- crisis_ , and _not_ _multiple- personality disorder_?"  
The other three kraken- lords spun to face him. "Wha–?" Malcolm managed; "Huh?" said Blackthorn. Malik blinked, several times, but said nothing. For a long moment, no one spoke. Finally Hiccup sighed, "Well… _That's_ not very reassuring." He nodded towards Bane, " _He's_ supposed to be the _smart one_."

For a full ten seconds, nobody moved or spoke. Blackthorn, Malcolm, and Malik; who'd been staring at 'lord' Bane, as though he'd grown a second head; turned to gape, uncomprehendingly, at Hiccup. Bane, meanwhile, stood stalk- still; one foot partially raised, his crutch under one arm; blinking as though someone had just wacked him over the head with a wooden shield. – Then everyone, except the _four_ kraken- lords, burst out laughing.

 _A few minutes later_ ,

It took the better part of five minutes for the crowd to recover, and the great- hall to again grow quiet. There was still the occasional bout of chuckles; and a general sense that the hall could dissolve into hysterics at any moment; but they were able to continue.  
The kraken- lords long since recovered from their shock: Malcolm and Malik backed down; Bane was visibly uneasy, but Blackthorn was glaring at Hiccup.

Hiccup never flinched; he appeared amused, rather then unsettled. The spectators, and other chiefs, quickly became aware of the silent standoff. This, more than anything, was what pulled everyone back to the present.

Finally, Blackthorn growled; "You've got a lot of nerve, for a ' _hiccup_ '."

"If you're going to insult me, Blackthorn, could you _at least_ use a word I _haven't heard_ every day of my life." Hiccup said, in an exasperated voice. "It is _my name_ , too, remember; so try not to wear it out." He turned to the other chiefs; "It's a sad day for witty- banter when the _lack of effort_ is more offensive than the insult." Several people chuckled; others hurried to cover amused grins.

"Oh-ho-ho, very clever: you think you've got it all figured out, don't you?" Blackthorn growled. He turned to glare at Chief Thommen, "If you've brought me here to judge me, forget it: I claim the right of trial by combat, and," he turned to Hiccup, "the right to _choose my opponent_."  
A long minute of silence followed this. Several chiefs exchanged glances: as did Astrid, her parents, and Valka. Chief Thommen was glaring at Blackthorn, red- faced and seemingly unable to find words.

"You _do_ have that right," Hiccup admitted, breaking the silence. "But such fights can end in one of three ways: a combatant yields; is clearly defeated, or is killed. The third 'option' is… _reserved_ , of course." He turned; nodding to Chief Thommen, who nodded back. He turned back to Blackthorn. "I _think_ I can _guess_ your choice of opponent; but before you say it, ask your _colleagues_ about their attack on Berk. It might make you… _reconsider_."

Blackthorn turned to Bane. Bane shifted, uneasily; his eyes fixed on the floor. "His flight- suit has a built- in glider: he used it to get from the nearest cliff to my boat; I had fifteen warriors. Took him four, five minutes; fourteen disarmed and thrown overboard, one dead." He glanced at Blackthorn, "Never seen the like of it; shouldn't have been possible."  
Another long silence followed Bane's words; a number of people glanced at Hiccup, and a low murmur of conversation flowed down the length of the hall.

"The connection that opened between Toothless and myself, the day we met, did more than allow an exchange of knowledge," Hiccup explained, after the mutters had faded to silence. "I've grown stronger, faster, more agile. Enhanced senses: sight, smell, and hearing." He turned to Blackthorn; "I am more than I appear; it's your call, though."

"I see what this is." Blackthorn shot Bane a disgusted look; and, to the Northern Chiefs; said, "Get me a sword, and draw your blade, 'dragon- master': I'm _calling_ your bluff."

"Have it your way, Blackthorn." Hiccup stood; slid his Night- Fury helmet onto his head, pulled down the faceplate. With slow, measured footsteps, he began to make his way around the council- table.

Blackthorn's eyes narrowed, "Fully armored? Hardly a fair fight."

" _It won't matter_ ," Hiccup's voice reverberated from beneath his helm. " _You'll never land a blow … Five years ago, a short time after Toothless and I first met; I had a vision. During which I received formal- orders to begin forging a peace, between humans and dragons._ "

For a long moment, nobody spoke. Then Blackthorn snorted, "A likely story… ' _Formal orders_ ' from _who, if I may ask_?"

Hiccup lifted the faceplate of his helm; met Blackthorn's gaze, and in his usual calm, level voice; said, "The Prince of Asgard; Thor, himself."  
For a long moment, nobody spoke. Hiccup could see shock on the faces of the four captive- lords; and on the faces of Berks' newly- arrived guests.  
"But we stray from the matter at hand," Hiccup continued. "You have evoked your right for trial- by- combat, and chosen me as your opponent. As with what I said, a moment ago, I tell you this so you will understand what you are up against ... This is your last chance to back down: once armed, there's no turning back."

Blackthorn gritted his teeth, then forced a smile. "This is more _elaborate_ than your other tricks, _boy_ ; but I'm still _not falling for it_ … Give. Me. A. Sword."

Hiccup sighed, and lowered the visor of his helm. He turned to Gobber, " _Arm him_."

Gobber nodded, and moved to a barrel that stood by one wall; he returned, a moment later, holding a sword. The smith placed the sword on the floor; and slid it across to Blackthorn.

Blackthorn picked it up, and chuckled. "Big mistake, _boy_ : when _we_ fight, it's anything goes!"

"' _Anything goes'; Blackthorn… really_?" Hiccup drew 'Fury' and chuckled, " _Are you trying to make this easier_?"

Blackthorn gritted his teeth, and lunged at Hiccup, roaring a battle- cry; Hiccup blocked the strike without any apparent effort. For a long moment, the two blades remained locked: Blackthorn trying to use his extra weight to bear Hiccup down, but to no avail.  
Hiccup stepped to one side, allowing his and Blackthorn's to separate. Then he launched a series of three quick slashes: Blackthorn parried the first two; the third came close enough that Blackthorn instinctively ducked, slightly, to evade it.  
His scowl deepening, Blackthorn slashed at Hiccup; he parried, and took a step back. Next came a downward cut at Hiccup's legs. Again, Hiccup blocked, moving to the right.  
Blackthorn went left, his sword speeding toward Hiccup's upper back: Hiccup spun 'Fury's hilt, in his hand, securing a reverse grip on the hilt. Grasping the hilt with his free hand, he raised the sword over his head, the blade pointing down, and blocked.  
Hiccup turned to face Blackthorn again, adjusting his grip on 'Fury's hilt, as he moved. The two blades came together again, locked between the two combatants.

Every eye in the hall was on them: No one, not even the villagers of Berk, had seen Hiccup fight up close before. Ok: in the practice- arena, sure; but nothing like this.  
Astrid remembered the times she's seen him fight, from a distance: She knew he was _good_ ; she _didn't_ know he was _this_ good.

After they'd been fighting for several minutes, Hiccup spoke, his voice reverberating from the faceplate of his helmet. " _Is this really the best you can do_?"

Blackthorn took several deep breaths, "I'm quite good enough to beat you, _boy_."

Hiccup considered 'lord' Blackthorn for a moment, than shook his head. " _No… I think not_." With little more than a flick the wrist: he forced Blackthorn's blade back, and struck again. Blackthorn staggered back, a few steps, but managed to parry.  
Then Hiccup's free hand shot out, catching Blackthorn in the chest. The force of the blow sent the kraken- lord stumbled back; he went to one knee, using his free hand for balance.  
" _Yield_ ," Hiccup told him, approaching at a leisurely pace. " _You can't fight forever: already, you tire; it won't be long, now_."

Blackthorn stood, glaring at Hiccup with pure hatred. He was panting heavily, "A Kraken- Lord … Never. ... Surrenders! I might not be … able to fight forever … _but neither can you_!"

Hiccup shrugged, and raised his black- sword to the ready- position, " _Then we continue_."

Blackthorn rose to his feet, and lunged. Hiccup blocked his next strike; and evaded the next by leaning so far back; you'd have thought for sure he'd fall. Instead: Hiccup stepped back with his right foot; shifted into a rapid half- rotation; regaining his footing, and launching into his next attack: a jab that Blackthorn only- just managed to deflect.  
Hiccup's next strike hit just under the hilt of Blackthorn's sword; the force of which sent Blackthorn's sword spinning into the air. Hiccup caught the hilt in his free hand; leapt up, and forward: landing two 'light' kicks on the upper part of Blackthorn's chest.  
'Lord' Blackthorn fell backward: unharmed, but momentarily stunned. Hiccup stood over him; he raised the two swords, crossed them in midair; than lowered them, until they hovered a few inches away from Blackthorn's throat.

" _You are beaten_." Hiccup stepped back; sheathed 'Fury', and removed his helmet. He raised an eyebrow, "I told you: You wouldn't land a blow."  
He turned, and walked back to his place at the table. He paused, on the way, to return the spare blade to Gobber, "Sorry about the nicks; swords never seem to last, against 'Fury'."

Gobber blinked, and chuckled. " _Sorry_ … for _what_? I'm pretty sure _this sword_ just became a _collectors' item_! Gods know: it'll last a lot longer than the kraken- lords!"

Dozens of small conversations began at once, down the entire length of the hall. Hiccup turned to the bench where Astrid and Valka sat, with Astrid's parents.  
Astrid grinned, shook her head, and blew Hiccup a kiss. Hiccup grinned back; reached out with one hand, as though to grab something out of the air; then he clapped the hand over his heart. Astrid's face reddened, and her smile widened.  
On Valka's, and Astrid's parents' faces, Hiccup saw awe, pride, and approval.

 **Part Two – The Coming Storm**

Once Hiccup returned to the table, he and the other chiefs had a brief conversation, amongst themselves. Their 'business' with the kraken- lords concluded, for now; orders were given for the captives to be escorted back to their cells.

Perhaps a minute after they left, Snotlout entered the great- hall; Hookfang followed him, closely. And, close behind Hookfang, came Ruff, Tuff, and their Zippleback. Snotlout was scowling; the others seemed to be struggling not to laugh.  
Snotlout jabbed a finger behind them; and said, "Blah-slog-crang-frap-scroodle."

Hiccup sighed, "The Skrill's here, isn't he?"

"Yep." Ruffnut said, nodding.

"He keeps growling; roaring, and gesturing behind him… you know, with his head," Tuffnut shrugged. "You _might_ want to talk to him: he hasn't blasted lightning at anything, though… Well; except for Snotlout."

"Blah. Slog. Crang. Frap. Scroodle." Snotlout said, rounding on Tuffnut: gesturing from himself to Hiccup, and then pointing towards the door.

Tuff rolled his eyes, "And Snotlout wants to know if he can take revenge on the Skrill for… you know: the lightning- thing."  
As he spoke, the Skrill stuck its head into the hall; sparks crackling across his scales.

"Grr-vree-krraak-kra-kra; Vree-vree-kra-rak-kree." Hiccup called, to the Skrill.

The Skrill blinked, glanced back, at the main part of its body. A moment later, the sparks vanished into the Skrill, and the dragon entered the hall.  
Hiccup met him, near the middle of the room. The Skrill bowed his head, slightly; Hiccup mirrored the gesture, and asked what the others in the hall took to be a question. The Skrill replied, speaking several sentences in the language of dragons.

Hiccup nodded; and looked around, "This is… _another_ long story; we're really going to need to find a time to go over this stuff. But, first things first: He says there's a large fleet of ships moving north, from beyond our southern boarder. Current speed; they'll rendezvous with the rest of the kraken- ships the day after tomorrow, early-to-mid afternoon." He nodded to the Skrill, "He says he can slow them down, though; they've already dropped speed because of his first 'appearance'. Apparently there's a 'grade- A' storm keeping pace with their fleet; and, since Skrills draw their power from lightning…"

"It's a good time to have a Skrill as a friend," summarized Chief Tyrek.

Hiccup nodded, "Once they dropped speed; he came straight here, to let us know. The storm he's following will start moving east, a few miles south of the Archipelagos, so whatever he's going to do needs to be soon." He turned to the Skrill, and trilled several lines in the language of dragons; the Skrill nodded, and seemed to smile.  
Hiccup and the Skrill repeated the ritual they'd performed, a few moments before; then the Skrill turned, loped out of the hall, and shot into the sky.

 _Meanwhile; The Kraken- Lords' Command Ship,_

Morale, in the Kraken- Lords' hall was, to put it mildly, ' _low_ '. Aside from the low murmur of conversation, and almost- furtive movements and gestures, nothing was happening.  
Given the most recent 'activity', most of their warriors seem to completely fine with that.

Then the messenger arrived. "My… My Lords; we received a report from Lord Blackthorn's camp."

High- Lord Malchior grunted, irritably. "What's Blackthorn saying now?"

"My Lord: it isn't from Lord Blackthorn… It's from _one of his men_ ," the messenger replied. "He writes that two Night- Furies showed up at their camp, about midmorning; they sunk all eleven of the ships stationed there, and… and _they've carried off Lord Blackthorn_!"

"So Blackthorn's gone and gotten himself captured." Malchior muttered. He considered this for a moment, and then shrugged. "Anything _else_?"

The man nodded, "We should arrive at the hostage- ships in two hours; most of the boats from the first wave should be there, by now; the rest by this evening." He cleared his throat, "We've also had word from Commander Bridgman: The armada has been delayed; they will arrive in the early- afternoon, the day after tomorrow."

Lord Ammon frowned, "Delayed? What happened?"

The man nodded, hesitantly. "There was a storm, my lord; they've had to slow their pace. Also: a Skrill, who seems to be following the storm, has attacked some of the boats. My lords: the Skrill has since flown ahead of the storm; _maybe_ to report to the Dragon- Master."

Lord Melbourne swore, "A _Skrill_? Is there _anything else_ the Gods would like to–?"

" _Don't ask_ ," Lord Tarbek interrupted. "Don't _even_ ask. We've got more than enough problems as it is."

"And?" High- Lord Malchior asked; his attention fixed on the messenger.

"That's everything, My Lord," the messenger replied. Malchior waved a hand: a clear dismissal; the man bowed, turned, and left the hall.

 _A half- mile from the hostage- ships,_

High- Lord Malchior stood at the prow of the Kraken- Lords' Command Ship; surveying the scene before them. Just behind him stood Lords Roland; Ralden; Tarbek; Emric, who was still trembling; Locke; Darrin; Ammon; and Melbourne.  
The hostage ships floated about half a mile ahead of them; there was no trace of the ships that had been sent to defend them.

Lord Malchior turned to the other lords. "Lord Locke, and Lord Tarbek; each of you take one boat, and twenty men. Search the hostage- ships, and report back; an hour, no more."  
Both lords exchanged uneasy looks, but bowed, and left to make their preparations.

 _A short time later_ ,

"The hostages are gone, My Lord." Lord Locke; whose men had searched the leftmost ship; informed High- Lord Malchior. "We found the crew on the lowest level, locked in the cells. No sign of the keys, so I left some men on-board to pry the cells open; it'll take some time, though. The men say they were caught off guard and paralyzed by a pack of between twelve and twenty Speed- Stingers: no idea where they came from, or how they got here. The men who'd been on deck said that, shortly after they were paralyzed; four dragons with riders landed on the decks of each boat. They riders searched the ship, than began dragging them down to the cells. The Speed- Stingers had vanished, by then; but we found the supply room and galley ransacked: every scrap of food is _also_ gone."  
Lord Locke took a deep breath, and continued. "Apparently, their leader was a dark- haired girl: in her late teens, or early twenties; a few of the men heard her say she's a friend of Hiccup's. No idea what happened, after they went topside."  
The silence that fell, when he finished speaking, lasted for several minutes.

High- Lord Malchior nodded, and turned to Lord Tarbek. "Anything to add?"

Lord Tarbek nodded. "It was the same on the second boat, except for the group- leader: blonde, early- twenties; according to the crewmen, she… she _claimed_ to be _Hiccup's wife_!" He cleared his throat, "That they _got married a few days before_ this war started!"

" _Hiccup's wife_ was here?" High- Lord Malchior asked, incredulously.

Lord Melbourne's eyes widened "Drago _killed Hiccup's father_ ; _we_ show up; _admit to backing Drago_. Once Hiccup found out _how we control_ the tribes we subjugate…"  
He left the sentence unfinished; the silence that followed, lasted for several minutes.

 **Part Three – The Northern Dragons**

 _On the island of Berk; two and a half hours after noon_ ,

When Hiccup reseated himself, at the council table, the conversations in the hall quickly faded to silence. Hiccup's personality, his natural charisma; and the way he'd forced four kraken- lords into submission, well- inside of an hour... Everyone wanted to know what he'd do, or say, next; and the best way to do that, was to give him a chance to speak.

A full minute passed in silence. Then Chief Marcus cleared his throat, "So: about this kraken- armada, heading north."

"The first part of this war is over," Hiccup said. "The second is going to require different tactics." The moment he opened his mouth, every eye in the hall was on him.  
"Right now," he continued, "we've got a lot of ships, riders and dragons, eight miles to the south. They needed to be there for the first part of this war, or the lords' messenger- birds could've used the sea- stacks, and small islands between here and there, as rest- stops: which would've made their _final- destination_ virtually untraceable."

Chief Tyrek understood immediately, "But now the extra distance is a liability; we need to bring them closer to home."

Chief Hiccup nodded, "We also need to make contact with the southern- tribes: as far as they know, nothing's changed." He turned, "Astrid, Valka; could the two of you make sure they have what they need. The sooner we get those letters sent, the better."  
Astrid and Valka nodded, got to their feet, and made their way to the foot of the hall; where the kraken- lords' former- hostages were also getting to their feet.  
Chief Marcus frowned, but Hiccup seemed to anticipate his question, "Sailing down and back would take too long, though: You want to go meet some dragons? … I wouldn't recommend _flying into battle_ , or anything: not this early on. Still: Got to start somewhere, right?"

Their response was exactly what you would have expected.

 _Fifteen minutes later_ ,

Their group came to a stop, the edge of the field where Lara had met her Deadly- Nadder: Summer. As they crested the last hill, and saw the dragons, several of the chiefs, and their men, let out gasps of disbelief.  
Dragons roamed across the field, or lay curled up: fully, completely, and clearly at ease. There were Deadly- Nadders; Gronkles; Monstrous- Nightmares; Hideous- Zipplebacks, four Typhoomerangs: Torch, his mother, sister, and brother.

"Incredible, aren't they? This is their true- nature: the way they are when they don't feel threatened." Hiccup turned to them, grinning. "Trust."

Chief Ephraim turned to face him, a small frown on his face. "'Trust'? What–"

Toothless turned to face them. **'At the end of your first council- meeting, I said: "prove to us** _ **,**_ **that** _ **we can trust you**_ **": Trust… That is the key, to forming a connection with a dragon. Like this…'** Hiccup moved towards Toothless; stopping, a short distance away. Hiccup raised a hand, extending it towards the black dragon. Toothless considered him, for a long moment; then Toothless rested his forehead against Hiccup's outstretched palm.

A moment later, Toothless straightened; he, and Hiccup, turned to face the Viking- chiefs. This time, Hiccup spoke; "When a dragon allows this contact, it is a gesture of trust: of friendship." He looked at each of them, in turn. "I cannot promise that you'll leave here with a dragon; but it's _not about_ finding ' _a dragon_ ', it's about finding ' _the right dragon_ '. Find that dragon; prove to him, or her, you can be trusted; and you'll have made a friend for life."

A few seconds after Hiccup finished speaking; a Monstrous- Nightmare, who'd been basking in the sun; opened one eyelid, glanced in their direction, right at Tyrone. It raised its head, turning to look at him with both eyes; a moment later, he got to his feet.  
He approached slowly, a few steps at a time; he stopped, about forty feet away, eyeing him uncertainly.

Tyrone frowned, then his expression changed: He drew his sword; and jabbed the upper third of the blade into the ground, by his feet. He took four long strides away from it. When Tyrone turned to face the dragon, he started: A mere ten feet separated them, now. Tyrone shook his head, grinned; and held out his hand, palm out. The Monstrous- Nightmare also seemed to grin; then he rested his snout, against Tyrone's palm.

Hiccup grinned; nodded to Tyrone, and looked around. "This is definitely a good start!"

Five minutes later' a Gronkle got to his feet, and lumbered towards Ephraim: Chief of The Stony Shores. Ephraim immediately handed his axe to one of his men; and moved forward. A few moments later, the dragon was resting his snout against his palm.  
After the second pairing, more of the wild- dragons began to take notice of the new arrivals.

An hour after they arrived, they set off to return to the great- hall: making a brief detour to the Dragon- Training Academy, to outfit the new riders with saddles.  
By then: At least two guards, or advisors; to each of the chieftains; had been partnered to a dragon, as had all but two chiefs. – Those who hadn't been paired to a dragon firmly agreed on one thing: _The right dragon_ was _worth waiting_ for.

Hiccup entered the great- hall first, on Toothless's back; next came Chief Tyrek and Tyrone, the latter on the back of his Monstrous- Nightmare. Then Chief Ephraim, on his Gronkle. The others following them in: many on dragons, some on foot.  
Shouts of congratulations; and growled comments from the dragons: which seemed to please the newly- partnered dragons; came at them from all sides.

By the time they got back, Berks' southern- guests had finished their letters. The members of each tribe took turns describing their tribes' crest; at which point the chief who'd seen that crest, on the ships across from them, would collect the relevant letter.  
They would bring it with them, when they brought word of recent events south: to their respective fleets. From there, Terrible- Terrors would carry the message the rest of the way.

The Northern Chieftains spent another half- hour tying- up a few loose ends, though it was clear they were eager to get up in the air. Then the council formally adjourned, with the intent to reconvene the following afternoon: for one last war council, before the Final Battle.

 _Later; on Berk_ ,

After the new dragon- rider chieftains, and their airborne retinues, had departed from Berk; the rest of the men who'd accompanied their chiefs to the Council Meeting elected to return to the boats they'd come on, for the night.

Once they'd left, Hiccup joined Astrid and his mother; where they stood, with Berks' newest guests. For several minutes, he and Toothless talked to Astrid and Valka: to give the others a chance to finish processing the new revelations, and series of events.

Finally: Arya, Alana, Bella and Brianna came forward to join them. Alana hesitated for a moment; than asked, "What you said, earlier; about having a vision, receiving instructions from Thor; did that… _really_ happen?"

Hiccup nodded, and; for the next ten minutes; gave them a brief account of how he'd met Toothless. He told them about the Battle of The Red- Death; gave an _edited_ summary of his vision, and finished with the sign Thor had sent: to back- up Hiccup's claims, after he'd told the rest of his tribe about the vision.  
"It's a lot to process, I know; and a lot has happened, since then." Hiccup shrugged, gesturing with one hand, as he spoke. Light glinted, off of the black scales of his armor.

"When you had the kraken- lords brought in, I… I heard Malik mumbling something, about that armor…" Brianna said, hesitantly. "I didn't quite hear, but… it sounded like he said it was 'alive'." Her face reddened, "I know it sounds ridiculous, but…" She shrugged, letting the sentence drift off.

"It's not ridiculous: it's actually true, in a way," Hiccup said, his expression solemn. "It was forged from a unique deposit of ore, given to me by one of the Night- Fury Elders. For six hundred years; whenever a Night- Fury sensed they were nearing the end of their lives, they would plunge into a pool of magma that lay deep beneath the caverns of their ancestral- home: the Isle of Night. Over the centuries: the scales, of those Night- Furies, mixed with the elements of the earth, and formed the ore."  
Hiccup raised his arm in front of him, examining the black scales. "Somehow: they left an imprint of … their minds, their souls; I'm never quite sure what to call it. But, in either case: they endure, within the metal. It isn't easy for The Ancestors to manifest themselves, but… I _think_ Malik irritated them."

' _MALIK QUESTIONED OUR EXISTANCE_.' A disembodied voice; or rather: a chorus of voices, speaking in perfect unison; whispered. ' _HE KNOWS BETTER, NOW_ … _WE GAVE OUR SCALES, OUR FIRE, SO THE PEACEMAKER COULD DO WHAT HE MUST: TO END THE BLOODSHED BETWEEN HUMANS_ _AND DRAGONS_. _TOO MUCH HARM HAS BEEN DONE, TO BOTH SIDES: THERE. MUST. BE. PEACE._ '  
One might expect such an experience to be ' _unnerving_ ', at best; but there was something… warm, hopeful, to the voice. And a profound feeling that the speakers meant well.  
Awe filled Brianna's face, and the faces of those around her; awe, but not fear.

"Thor said to forge a peace between _humans_ and dragons," Hiccup said, to fill the silence. "Not ' _northerners and dragons_ '; ' _humans_ and dragons'." He looked around. "But first, I'd need to know a little about who I'm dealing with." – Their conversation continued.

 **Part Four – Impossible Tidings**

 _The following morning; 'Chief' Hedrick's flagship_ ,

Almost seven years had passed, since the Kraken- Lords had taken over; the 'mood' of their tribe had long since solidified into a sort of surly- resentment. With the Kraken- Lords; the Gods, who seemed to have no problem with what the Kraken- Lords were doing; and… well: life in general.

Everyone; except for the men on duty, up on deck; had gathered for breakfast. The room was devoid of conversation: What was there to talk about? They simply sat, and ate.  
Then the sound of running footsteps reached their ears; a moment later, a man burst into the room. He was panting hard, and holding a scroll.

"Chief… Hedrick: I… I've go–got news!" the man rasped.

Hedrick scowled at the man. "Not much point calling me ' _chief_ ', Dirk: I haven't been a chief since those blasted Kraken- Lords dragged–" He sighed, "What's the message; new orders, doubtless."

Dirk grinned, "It's _not from the Kraken- Lords_ , Chief! It's _from your wife_ : Arya and Alana _are on Berk_! Hiccup; the Dragon- Master, and Chief of Berk; he's gone and hijacked the Kraken- Lords' conquest- method: _he's_ _been playing Lord Bane like a sett of panpipes_!"

A very different kind of silence settled over the room. Hedrick waited for a count of ten; then asked, " _What_ did you just say?"

"You heard me right, sir!" Dirk said: unrolling the scroll, as he spoke. "The Chief of Berk has seized hostage- ships; offered them safe- sanctuary on Berk! Apparently: Hiccup figured out what the kraken- banners meant; sent Night- Fury patrols to monitor the Northern- Villages for abduction- attempts: Spirited the northern- hostages right out from under Blackthorn's ugly nose! Than, when the Northern- Council convened; Hiccup told them what he'd done, and got the other chiefs on- board with his battle- plan!"  
The moment the words 'battle- plan' left his mouth, Dirk began to chuckle.

Hedrick's breath caught in his throat. It took a few tries; but he finally said, "Battle- plan… _what battle- plan_? … _DIRK_!"

Dirk took several deep breaths. "Sorry, chief; it's just… this 'Hiccup'; he's some kind of _master- strategist_ himself! _The Northerners; they've been tracking the messenger- birds_ : every time a fleet checked- in, the northerners' marked the birds' heading, and sent it to Berk … The Chief of Berk has been using _our positions as reference- points, and his dragons to bypass the forward lines_!" – An instant later, the pieces clicked into place, in the minds of the listeners. For a full minute, nobody spoke.

"Is there more?" Hedrick asked.

"That was as far as I read, but yes," Dirk unrolled the scroll, and found his place. "He's taken four Kraken- Lords captive: Malcolm; Malik; Blackthorn, and…" His eyes widened, " _Gods be good: he's captured Lord Bane_!"  
A wave of exclamations filled the room: awed, jubilant, and a few of disbelief. Such a feat seemed impossible, _and yet_ …

Dirk's eyes continued to scan the page; he frowned, "Arya says there's more, but she'll have to wait to tell you the rest because…" Dirk's face paled, and his eyed bulged. "She says ' _Hiccup confronted Malik with suspicions Malik unintentionally confirmed: Each Kraken- Lord has a personal- war fleet; which initially totaled two- thousand ships. Approximately eighteen- hundred believed to be moving north, even now'_!"

" _Eighteen- hundred ships_?" The shred of hope that had kindled in Hedrick's soul flickered; he had a sinking feeling it'd soon be snuffed out. "There's no way we can fight that many!"

"There's more," Dirk told them, and continued to summarize the contents of the letter.

When he finished, Chief Hedrick felt his own mouth curling into a smile; the muscles of his face stretching in a way they had not for years. "So," he mused, "the Chief of Berk has his own 'grievances' with the Kraken- Lords; but they come from beyond the boarders of the Archipelagos, beyond their jurisdiction." He let out a low chuckle, "No matter: I think we can ' _do business_ '. If the Northerners want Blackthorn, they can have him: so long as he gets what he deserves." – A ripple of agreement moved through the room.

 _Further down the line; 'Chief' Donovan's flagship_ ,

His sausages had never wronged him, but Donovan stabbed at them as though they had committed an unforgivable offence. Six months had passed, since the Kraken- Lords had dragged off his wife, Bella; and their daughter, Brianna.  
His son, Bergan, sat next to him; attacking his sausages in much the same way he was. He was nineteen, which the Kraken- Lords deemed 'old enough to fight'. He was dark haired; broad- shouldered, and of average height for his age.

The sound of hurried footsteps drew him out of his reverie; Donovan looked up, just in time to see the messenger hurry into the room. He held a scroll in one hand, and a glint in his eyes that looked suspiciously like triumph.

"New orders, Goren?" Donovan asked, though he knew that couldn't have been right: new orders wouldn't explain the look in Goren's eyes.

"Not exactly, sir," Goren replied. "A letter, _from your wife_." The instant the words left his mouth, the room grew very quiet.

"What?" Donovan's eyes widened. "That's impossible: the Kraken- Lords would never–" He left the sentence unfinished, and considered the new arrival. "Go on, then."

"I didn't read the whole thing: just the first bit," Goren admitted, unrolling the scroll. "Apparently the Chief of Berk, this 'Hiccup', has been one step ahead of the Kraken- Lords from the beginning: Figured out what the kraken- banners meant; guessed _they_ used hostages; deployed Night- Fury patrols to monitor for abduction- attempts; and had his stealthiest Terrible- Terror deliver a letter to them, with extraction- instructions."  
Goren chuckled, "They've been tracking the messenger- birds: The Chief of Berk has been using _our positions as reference- points, and his dragons to bypass the forward lines_! He's also taken four Kraken- Lords captive: Malcolm, Blackthorn, _Malik, and Bane_."  
A wave of exclamations rolled through the room.  
It took some time; but, eventually, they made their way through the rest of the report. The latter part contained some 'unsettling' news, but things actually seemed to be under control.

Donovan's eyes glittered, angrily. "Well, since _the topic_ has come up: I've been _wanting_ to have _a word_ with Malik."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen – War of The Kraken: The Final Battle**

 **Part One – North And South**

 _Chief Donavan's flagship, Bergan_

It was almost an hour before they finally set sail. During that time, they made contact and conferred with, the northern- chieftain, Marcus Grayclaw, and his advisors. When all that need be addressed had been, they began their journey north.

They sailed all morning, and into the early- afternoon; accompanied by the northern- fleet. Finally, lookouts spotted a 'significant' number of ships, about four miles further north.  
Bergan stood at the prow of his father's boat; taking in what lay before them. As they got closer, the crests on their sails became easier to discern. He recognized both of them: One fleet belonged to Abram Grimm, the rest to the Shivering Shores.

Bergan's father joined him at the prow, a few minutes later, and clapped him on the shoulder. They spotted Abram Grimm, on the deck of his ship; and, when they were close enough to be heard, Donovan raised his voice. " _Abram; Any word from Berk_?"

Abram Grimm turned, at the sound of his name. He spotted them; and, just a quickly; turned away, gesturing for someone they couldn't see to join him. Moments later, a woman and two teenage girls came into their field of view.  
" _Nothing recent, no_ ," Abram called back. " _But my daughters have been there; Hiccup sent them on, to me, before deploying his extraction- teams. Chief Tyrek_ ," he nodded towards the Shivering Shores' ships, " _filled me in on the plans to relocate the forward lines, yesterday_."

Their conversation lasted another five minutes, and then Abram and Marcus turned their attention to organizing their respective fleets. Once everything was in place, three ships from each of the southern- tribes, the chief's and two others, continued to northwards.  
North, to the island of Berk: where the final War Council was scheduled to convene.

 **Part Two – Reunions, Long Delayed**

The island of Berk was only a few miles ahead of them, now, and it was an impressive sight. But it was what they saw above the island that caught their attention: A massive, multi- colored, rotating … 'disk'.  
Then the sound of dragons roaring reached their ears; heads turned in the direction of the sound, and they saw a small flock of dragons, speeding towards Berk. Instead of landing, however, they seemed to 'merge' into the 'disk'.  
A moment of confusion; then someone muttered, " _Odin's Crown: They're… they're dragons_!"

The minutes slipped past; the distance continued to narrow, and something else quickly caught their attention: Two dragons; one pitch- black, the other a brilliant blue; separated from the swarm above, coming in for a landing near the docks. Both dragons had riders.

 _Several hours earlier_ ,

Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid and Stormfly were up at their usual time. And, as had become their routine, they began their day with a midmorning flight.  
They were not the only dragons in the sky above Berk, however: not by a long shot. The first groups of wild- dragons had begun to arrive the previous afternoon; and they continued to arrive, a new group every few hours.

 _The docks; present time_ ,

Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid and Stormfly met the new arrivals at the docks. Hiccup grinned, "Well: welcome to Berk. I am Hiccup; Chief of Berk."

"And 'Dragon- Master'," Astrid added, grinning.

"People _also_ call me that, yes." Hiccup grinned, and gave her a one- armed hug. "This is my wife, Astrid; and this," he turned to give Toothless a rub on the shoulder, "is Toothless; my Night- Fury partner, and–"

' **The new Alpha- Dragon of The North,'** Toothless finished. He turned to Hiccup. **'What? It was going to happen anyways.'** Hiccup grinned: rolling his eyes, in mild exasperation.

"This is Stormfly, my Deadly- Nadder." Astrid grinned, and gave her dragon an affectionate pat on her lower- neck. Stormfly nodded, gracefully, but didn't speak.

Moments later, Cloudjumper landed, nearby; Valka dismounted, and they came forward. Hiccup grinned; and turned back to the new- arrivals. "And this is Valka, my mother; and her Stormcutter, Cloudjumper."

Chief Donovan blinked, several times; his eyes still fixed on Toothless. Then cleared his throat. "I am Donovan Flint; Chief of the Red Cliffs Tribe, far to the south and west. This is my son, Bergan." He went on to introduce his advisors, and the rest of his party.

Hiccup nodded an acknowledgment, then turned back to Chief Donovan. "We recognized the crests on your sails, as you made your approach; Bella and Brianna should be here any moment, now."

Just as Hiccup finished speaking, a second Night- Fury landed on the beach: Bella and Brianna on her back. Moments later: Bella was hugging her son, and Donavan his daughter. The four of them turned to Hiccup, but none seemed able to find words.

Hiccup nodded. "I know; different stories, but both lead us to a common enemy … Our council reconvenes tomorrow afternoon; in the meantime, I'm sure you've got a lot of catching up to do."  
Chief Donovan nodded; then he, and his family moved a little ways down the beach.

 _That evening_ ,

By the time the sun touched the horizon, twenty- three southern- chieftains had arrived at Berk; those who hadn't had sent confirmation, via Terrible- Terror messenger, that they would arrive the following morning. – News Hiccup passed on, as soon as he got it.  
The chieftains who had arrived that day, reunited with those the Kraken- Lords had taken for leverage; had returned to the ships they'd arrived on, to spend the night.  
The reason was easy to understand: Aboard their own ships, they could spend the night together; and at least pretend that their abductions, and the months or years apart, had just been the worst kind of nightmare.  
Hiccup, Astrid, Valka, and their dragons stood at the cliff top where Hiccup and Astrid would so often come, to watch the sunset; only tonight, it was the ships they were watching.

They stood in silence, for a time; finally, Astrid shook her head. "How could anyone do something like that; to so many people, so many tribes?"

"They don't care, Astrid; they don't care about anything other than themselves, and their 'empire'." Hiccup said, softly. He sighed, "We should head in: Our last War- Council is tomorrow afternoon; after that…" He let the sentence drift.

Astrid and Valka nodded agreement. Hiccup and Astrid wished Valka a 'good night'; then the three of them clambered onto their dragons' backs, and they parted ways.

 _The following morning_ ,

After their usual morning flight, Toothless and Stormfly set down outside the great- hall. Hiccup and Astrid dismounted; instead of entering the hall, though; they and their dragons turned, and took in the scene before them.

About ten minutes after they arrived, they heard the sound of footsteps. They turned, and saw Arya and Alana emerge from between the doors, which stood half- open. They exchanged greetings, and the new arrivals joined them where they stood.

Several minutes passed in silence; then Alana turned to Hiccup, hesitated for a moment; then asked, "Why are you doing this; helping us? You didn't have to; you could've just…" She let the sentence drift off.

"I know what it's like, to lose family." Hiccup said, simply. "My mother vanished, when I was one, during a dragon- attack. Six months ago, the impossible happened: She and I crossed paths. That afternoon … Drago decided I was a threat to him, and tried to kill me; my father intercepted the attack; that was how he died." – Arya and Alana's eyes widened.

A moment later, a Terrible- Terror landed on Hiccup's shoulder. He listened, for a moment; then said something to the dragon. He turned to them, and nodded. "Time to head down to the dock: they'll be here soon."

 **Part Three – War Council**

 _The Great Hall; three hours after noon_ ,

It was not uncommon for the Great Hall of Berk to be 'crowded'; today, it was _packed_. Two long tables had been pushed together, to 'extend' the table around which the chieftains sat. Two rows of benches ran along either side of the extended- table, where the southern- chiefs sat; where their families and advisors were seated.  
The northern- chiefs were seated much as in previous meetings; though an extra chair had been added, and Astrid now sat to Hiccup's right.  
The rest of the hall quickly filled with as many villagers and dragons from Berk as would, _reasonably_ , fit into the hall.

From the atmosphere, one might've thought they were celebrating a victory, rather than about to make plans for a final- battle.  
As the last few chieftains took their seats, the sound of conversation faded, and The War Council, convened.

Once the, thoroughly streamlined, formalities of a War Council had been observed; everyone's attention quickly settled on Hiccup.  
Hiccup glanced around; the corner of his lip twitched, and he glanced around at his fellow northern- chiefs. "I hope no one feels I'm overstepping my place; recent events aside, _I am_ the 'new guy'."

Chief Ephraim grunted. "I'm not complaining: if we'd done this 'the usual way'… Wouldn't have been much of a fight." – The rest of the northern- chieftains muttered agreement.

"The kraken- lords _were using_ a _cunning_ strategy; underhanded, cowardly; but cunning." Hiccup admitted. "But it's also flawed: they go from place to place; making enemies of chieftain, after chieftain." He raised an eyebrow, "Not a very _healthy_ lifestyle choice, that; they're going to _get themselves killed_ , one of these days." A few chuckles, and muttered comments; then silence. "We've already chosen the location for the battle, always a tactical advantage; and it also means that they'll have to come to us."

"What if they don't, though?" one of the southern- chiefs asked, getting to his feet. "They could just as easily turn south, and destroy our homes, before we know they've left!"

"I still have 'eyes' on our southern- boarders; I'll know if they try," Hiccup assured him. "Even if they did, they can't outdistance the Night- Furies; but _they won't_ turn south."

"How can you be so sure?" the southern- chief asked, uncertainly.

"The kraken- lords aren't stupid." Hiccup said, simply. "They know it won't do any good: If they fled south, they'd be going _towards your territories_ ; if we do this as a _joint- operation_ …" He let the sentence drift.

"Beard of Thor," the man's eyes widened. "That would _open the neutral- waters_ ; between here, and _our territories_ ; to military- deployment!" A chorus of gasps greeted these words.

"It would, and they know it." Hiccup agreed. "When the 'kraken- lords' made war against _us_ ; the northern tribes; _control of the south_ became their only safe retreat. Basically, they're trapped in an _uninhabited section_ of the Archipelagos: to secure a position here, or a route south, they need leverage; and the only way they'd get it, is to get past our lines." The corner of his lip twitched, "To flee south, they must strike north: the longer they wait, the more time we have to prepare."

For a two full minutes, the Great Hall of Berk was as silent as a tomb. Then Abram Grimm gave a short bark of laughter. " _By the gods; talk about turning the tables_!"

Astrid raised an eyebrow, "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"

"It was, yes." Hiccup grinned at her, then turned to address the room. "I would never presume to single- handedly make decisions that, by rights, extend beyond Berk; but if I need to act _in order to secure_ an opportunity _we_ might need later, I will – to keep the option open ... The kraken- lords have had their fun, and they've had it at everyone's expense _except_ their own… They've done _too much_ damage already; it's _past time_ they answered for it. _How_ they answer… well: that's what _we're_ here to decide." As he spoke, a ripple of movement and sound; nods, and murmurs of agreement; moved up and down the length of the hall.

Chief Tyrek stood. "In a campaign of this scale, it's custom to name a Battle Commander; before the fighting begins." He gazed roamed around the room. "I think we can all agree on whom to appoint."  
No one argued. In fact: _a lot_ of people were nodding, and not just chieftains. Hiccup nodded, solemnly, formally accepting the responsibility.  
Hiccup glanced at Astrid: she smiled at him; nodded, and kissed him on the cheek. He turned to look at his mother; Valka's face, was glowing with pride.

 _The Kraken- Lords' Command- Ship; one hour and seven minutes earlier_ ,

"Well, well: Commander Bridgman … _Where in the Nine Realms have you been_?" High- Lord Malchior demanded, sharply. " _You were supposed to be here yesterday – at the latest_!"

Commander Bridgman gestured, irritably, at the bank of storm clouds; which were now moving eastwards, away from them. "Shgra-grill rha-meh gawk; awg-awkd rush. Ang." His thickly accented voice didn't help matters.

High- Lord Malchior frowned, and turned to Bridgman's second- in- command. "What in Thor happened to _him_?"

"Huh-rah-rash-ruh-rug." The man rumbled, also gesturing at the clouds behind them.

" _More nonsense_." Malchior grumbled; he rounded on Bridgman. "Your ' _responsibilities_ '; have they been attended to?" He held up a hand, "Just… _nod_ , if they have been."  
His expression sullen, Bridgman nodded.

Another of Bridgman's three captains, now present, stepped forward. "My lords: The Skrill's launched several more attacks against us. Ten of ships were sunk, and several dozen of our men were, uh…" He glanced at Bridgman, and cleared his throat. "It shot bolts of lightning at them; the affects _do_ wear off … It takes a few hours, though – usually."

"Of course it does." Malchior grumbled. "When was the Skrill last spot–?"

There was a flash of lightning; and the Skrill appeared, seemingly from nowhere. A bolt of light crackled from its left wing, and hit Lord Tristan. As quickly as it appeared, the Skrill was gone: vanishing into the clouds of the departing storm.

Narrow bolts of electricity crackled through Lord Tristan, then dispersed; he looked a little dazed, but otherwise unharmed. He shook himself, and said "Shra-gra-nah-thraggle!"

"Everyone get below, before that thrice- blasted dragon comes back!" Turning to his fellow lords, he added, "Come. We have… 'Matters', to discuss."

Everyone hurried to get below decks; save for the thoroughly unsettled unfortunates who were on lookout- duty.  
Even as the deck cleared; the Sea-Shocker, who'd been listening closely to every word; quietly slid back beneath the waves, and shot northwards.

 _An hour later; on Berk_ ,

A few minutes after Hiccup was officially named Battle Commander of their combined forces; a Terrible- Terror swooped through the doors, and into the hall. Moments later, the dragon perched on Hiccup's shoulder, and began growling in his ear.  
Hiccup trilled something back; dragon inclined its head, and flew to a perch along one wall.

"The armada had just rendezvoused with the kraken- lords, led by a 'Commander Bridgman'." Hiccup informed them, "Is that name familiar to anyone?" - The southerners, in the hall, exchanged glances and several shook their heads; the name 'Bridgman', was new to all of them.

"He might be a problem," Astrid said, uneasily. "If nobody knows about him…"

"It's another piece of the puzzle, and _someone_ knows about him." Hiccup's expression became thoughtful. "Gobber, Eret, Sven, and… Spitelout; would you bring in 'lords' Malik, Blackthorn, and Bane."

Gobber frowned, "And Malcolm?"

Hiccup shook his head, "Just the other three."

Gobber shrugged, "You're the Chief." He gestured to the others Hiccup had named; they got to their feet and made their way out of the hall, followed by their dragons.  
Low murmurs filled the hall, people exchanged curious glances; but the small smile on Hiccup's face made one thing clear: he had a plan.

 _Shortly_ ,

Ten minutes later, 'lords' Malik, Blackthorn and Bane were marched into the great- hall. "Showing off your ' _captives_ ' again _, Dragon- Master_ ," Bane spat.

"You just have to assume the worst, Bane." Hiccup sighed. "I figured that; since you've been in your cell for days, cut off from the world; you'd appreciate some news of the war. Commander Bridgman arrived in the Archipelagos this morning. He's been quite busy, from what my _friend_ heard; unfortunately for 'your cause', he recently took a lightning- bolt to the head, courtesy of a Skrill. From Malchior's reaction, he blurted out a lot more than he was should have … about his ' _responsibilities_ ', and the… ' _Item_ ' he's been safeguarding."  
The moment Hiccup said the words ' _Commander Bridgman_ ', the four kraken- lords grew very still; all of them, even Bane, appeared shocked.

" _He knows_ ," Malik's face was white. He spun to face Malik and Blackthorn, " _This is exactly how it happened with our Armada: he knows about The Amulet_!"

"Shut up, you idiot!" Bane snapped.

"Yes, the amulet…" Hiccup nodded, his tone almost sympathetic. "Quite potent, if it works; it's hardly the kind of thing you'd 'try out' for fun, though." He raised an eyebrow, "You _have_ tested it, haven't you… to be sure?"

"Describe it, then, if you know so much about it!" Bane challenged. "What does it look like?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. " _Describe_ it? It's hardly the kind of thing you'd just wear around, in the open, where one wrong move might…" He shrugged. "In any case: this information came from a _Sea-Shocker_ who eavesdropped on the rendezvous, so he wouldn't have seen it _even if_ Bridgman had been… _waving it over his head_. The Sea-Shocker passed the news to a Terrible- Terror, who brought word to me."  
He considered the three of them for a moment. "Honestly, I don't think he even has it … Wasn't it was lost, or deliberately hidden, centuries ago?"  
Bane and Blackthorn were gaping at Hiccup; Malik was wide-eyed and trembling.

Blackthorn glared at Hiccup, then rounded on Malik. "Get a hold of yourself, man: he's bluffing! Only the members of Our Council know how, and where, The First Lords discovered the shrine!"

" _Shut up; both of you_!" Bane repeated, more insistently.

Hiccup chuckled. "It's _too late_ , Bane: they've already given me everything I needed… So it _was buried_ ; I came across _that_ legend years ago; the Kal-gra… Kal- _something_ …"  
A brief pause; Hiccup's expression turned thoughtful; then he smiled. " _Kalgrathyn_. That's what it was called: The Kalgrathyn Amulet. I'll need to confirm a few details; but with _this much_ advance notice; of both the armada, and the amulet?"

Toothless snorted, and turned to look at Bane. Speaking so all could hear; he said, **'In case you're wondering, this is how he gets when he has a fully- formed plan in his head, but doesn't want to ruin** _ **the show**_ **, for an** _ **audience**_ **.'**

Hiccup rolled his eyes, shrugged, and grinned. "What can I say: I'm used to working on a _much shorter_ deadline." He raised an eyebrow at the kraken- lords, "If this 'amulet- thing' pans out, _everyone_ on the front- lines is in for a show; the Night- Furies _will love this_! If it doesn't… well… they'll be _a little disappointed_ ; but your armada should make for an… _acceptable_ 'consolation prize', plenty of ships to go around." He gestured, vaguely, with one hand. "After that, well… life goes on; well… _our lives_ will, at least; give my sincerest _ill- wishes_ to Drago … on the off-chance that the Valkyries haven't torn him apart yet."

Bane's face went slack; he rounded on Malik and Blackthorn, whose faces were now as white as snow. " _You idiots…_ " his voice cracked. " _You simple- minded idiots_!"  
At the same moment, a light breeze seemed to blow through the hall, as several hundred people breathed simultaneous sighs of relief.

"Your _assistance_ is appreciated; kraken- lords," Hiccup said, calmly. "I won't take any more of your time – and: _you're welcome_ , for the 'news', by the way: aside from the bit about Bridgman 'spilling the beans', it _was_ accurate." The corner of his lip twitched. "Oh, I almost forgot: the Skrill also got Tristan; same story as Bridgman… No lasting harm, but he'll be jabbering nonsense for a few hours." Laughter, and a smattering of cheering, filled the hall, as the three kraken- lords were led back to their cells.

Astrid leaned towards Hiccup; lowered her voice to a whisper, and said, " _Sometimes you're so good, it's scary_." Hiccup raised an eyebrow, a silent question; Astrid rolled her eyes, and smiled. " _The rest of the time, you're_ _amazing_." Hiccup grinned, and kissed her on the cheek.

 **Part Four – The Final Battle**

It was a truly impressive, and intimidating, sight; row upon row of warships, northern and southern both. What you didn't see was just as, and in some ways more, impressive: eight- hundred and seventy- nine dragons were also present. Many had set down on ships belonging to one of the northern- tribes, but even more on a collection of smaller- to- medium sized islands, located a few miles to the north.  
The wives and daughters of the southern- chiefs; not wanting to be separated from their husbands and sons again; accompanied them, to the newly- relocated front- lines.

News of Hiccup's appointment, as Battle- Commander, had circulated within a few hours of their arrival; and he and Toothless spent the rest of that day meeting with the captains and crew of the southern' fleets.  
Some had been… 'Dubious', on receiving the news, though not for long. It was, in part, the account of what had occurred that morning, in the Great- Hall of Berk; but even more so; when the captain and crews of the southern- ships _actually met_ Hiccup and Toothless.  
By the end of their first full day on the front- lines, he had earned their respect: all without embarrassing, or alienating, anyone who questioned his abilities.

 _The following afternoon_ ,

On their second day at the newly- relocated front- lines, another boat arrived from each of the northern- tribes: transporting, not warriors, but ' _spectators_ '.  
After so long apart, former- hostages had asked to accompany them south; and to watch the final- battle, from a safe- distance. Once the necessary arrangements had been made, each of the northern- chiefs sent a ship home: to deliver the news, and transport those who wished to come to the newly- relocated front- line. (There'd been clear guidelines set, though, for who would be allowed to watch the actual fighting.)

This led to Hiccup's meeting the families of his fellow chiefs, and a 'fair number' of their people. And in a seemingly- endless stream of questions coming his way. Hiccup introduced them to Astrid, his wife; Lara introduced her Deadly- Nadder to her aunt, and others from her tribe. – It was a long day, but a satisfying and productive one.

 _The following day; an hour before noon_ ,

A quarter- mile north of the main line; the nearest of those smaller islands rose up; out of the water. The southernmost- side of it was sheer cliff, and, at the top, Hiccup and Toothless.  
With them were, of course, were Astrid and Stormfly; Valka and Cloudjumper; Gobber and Grump, and the rest of Berks' 'original' dragon- riders. They were joined by a number of other chieftains, northern and southern; a 'substantial' number of partnered- dragons, whose riders were also present; and wild- dragons.

Then, an hour after noon, on their second day, four Night- Furies returned, with news of approaching ships. This news triggered a flurry of activity, as everyone rushed to complete the last- minute preparations.

 _Two hours later_ ,

When the ships came into view; and kept coming, and coming, and coming; it was hard not to feel a shiver of hopelessness run down your spine: There were just so many of them!  
But all one had to do was turn around, and look up; then they would see the human in black armor, standing next to his Night- Fury. The sight was an undeniable reminder that there was more to this battle than the number of ships: _their side_ had dragons, and a Battle- Commander who had done the impossible before – multiple times.

A few minutes later, a man moved to the foredeck of one of the leading boats. It was hard to make out details, as the leading ship was still some distance away. The man raised something over his head, and sunlight glinted off of a round metal disk.  
The air around him shimmered, and a strange sound echoed across the water; aside from that, though, nothing seemed to happen.

 _Some time later_ ,

Almost an hour passed, before they noticed a disturbance in the water; than tentacles rose into the air, about a quarter- mile ahead of the lead boat. The man shouted something, thrusting the hand holding the gleaming amulet forward. _The Kraken_ advanced.

"Looks like their amulet works; huh, bud?" Hiccup said; his voice surprisingly calm, as he turned to Toothless. The black- dragon warbled, but said nothing.

The other chieftains had returned to their ships, soon after the first enemy ships appeared on the horizon. The spectators; northern and southern, both, were gathered nearby, dismay and disbelief visible on their faces.  
Lara's Aunt Leah turned to them, wide-eyed. " _The–Their amulet controls the Kraken_?"

"According to the legend: It was supposed to _keep the Kraken dormant_. When the makers realized it might also be able to _control_ the creature, it was hidden in an underground shrine, with the intention that it never sees the light of day. But yeah: that seems to be the case." Hiccup then turned to Astrid, Heather, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff, who were already on their dragons. "Wait until I give the signal; you'll know it when you see it."  
Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a long look; silently saying all that needed to be said.

Hiccup nodded, and gave her a reassuring smile. Then he slid his Night- Fury helmet onto his head, and lowered the faceplate; turned to face northwards, and roared something, in the language of dragons.  
He took his place, on Toothless's back; the spread his wings, and surged into the sky. Moments later, a chorus of wailing shrieks filled the air; then what must have been close to fifty Night- Furies shot over their heads, following Hiccup and Toothless.

' _The show',_ was starting…

As they flew, the Night- Furies spread out; some circled around, to attack from the sides. When the black- dragons were within range, each launched two plasma- bolts at the nearest tentacle. All, that is, but one.  
From the back of _that_ dragon, a figure in black propelled himself into the air: plunging something; the blade of his sword, the watchers assumed; into the Kraken's tentacle. Hiccup dropped towards the waves; keeping a firm grip on the hilt of his sword, opening a gash already several meters long, and growing longer, with every passing second.

Movement, in the midst of the tentacles, caught their attention, then. An instant later, the creature's massive head rose into view; eyes, teeth as large as a grown man. It roared in anger; its attention fixed on Hiccup.  
As though alerted by some instinct, Hiccup withdrew his blade, and leapt clear. Seconds later, the Krakens' teeth sank into its own tentacle; and Toothless shot below Hiccup, who settled back into his saddle, on the black- dragon's back.

Meanwhile, the other Night- Furies continued to 'wage war' on the other tentacles; Hiccup and Toothless _definitely_ had the Krakens' attention, but it _wasn't ignoring_ the other dragons. If Hiccup was hoping to _distract_ the Kraken, it _wasn't working_ …

Toothless shot over the Krakens' head; another Night- Fury, also pursued by a tentacle; shot towards them, passing about ten feet to their left.  
Moments later, Toothless and the other Night- Fury doubled back; Toothless flew over the tentacles, the other dragon flew under. Both tentacles followed, and then stopped: in the attempt to follow the two dragons, the two tentacles had _tied themselves into a knot_.

At first, it seemed like luck: a desperate, and fortunately successful, attempt to evade the tentacles. But, instead of taking evasive maneuvers, Toothless joined two of his kin in another direct attack.  
More flying; more dodging; but, finally, _two more_ tentacles knotted themselves together … One from the monsters' back, and the other from the front.  
This occurred several more times, until a total of _twenty tentacles_ had been knotted together; and were now struggling, uselessly, to get free.

" _DIVE_!" A distant, bellowed order reached their ears. " _IGNORE THE DRAGONS: ATTACK THE SHIPS! DIVE … DIVE! DIVE_!" It was the man on the deck of the leading ship of the Kraken- Armada: the one holding the amulet. It was Commander Bridgman.

The Kraken tried to obey: It leaned forward, trying to angle downwards: to vanish into the depths of the ocean… The tentacles that extended from the front pulled against those from its back, and the massive creature roared in pain; it tried again, but the result was the same.  
It kept trying; its movements became frenzied, almost panicked; but its efforts, were in vain.

" _It can't dive_!" Astrid exclaimed, half laughing. " _They've trapped the Kraken at the surface_!" Eyes widened, people murmured to one another.  
Even as they spoke, Toothless rose into the sky; on his back, Hiccup raised 'Fury' over his head. An aura of blue flames crackled to live, around the blade: a very clear signal.

Astrid's smile widened. "That's our cue, guys!" As she spoke, Stormfly unfurled her wings, and rose into the sky; the other dragons right behind her, and two hundred dragons; some with riders, but more without; close behind them.

As they drew nearer, they heard Hiccup shout: " _ZIPPLEBACKS: SPREAD YOUR GAS OVER THE KRAKEN; BUT HOLD THE SPARK_!" – A legion of Zipplebacks shot in: breathing their gas cloud, without igniting it. Then, once the last of the Zipplebacks had finished their run, came the command they were waiting for: "And… _FIRE_!"  
A massive fireball hid the Kraken from view, though you could've sworn you still heard the Kraken roaring in pain. Its hide may've been too hard, and the creature itself too massive, for the weapons of sailors to harm it; but a battalion of dragons breathing fire, that was another thing entirely.

Hiccup's next order was for the same attack they'd used against the fleet Lord Bane had led against Berk. Two lines of dragons, Monstrous- Nightmares in front, and Deadly- Nadders behind, formed up. The Monstrous- Nightmares set themselves on fire, those with riders being careful to restrict the flames to their undersides. Then the Deadly- Nadders launched waves of spikes through the flames; the spikes ignited, and many of them even found chinks in the Kraken's scales.

The Kraken lashed at them, with its tentacles; but its movements had turned sluggish… It was weakening. This realization invigorated both the dragons, and their riders; every attack Hiccup ordered being executed with more zeal than the one before.  
Finally, the Kraken let out one last bellow of outrage; its tentacles went limp. And, one by one, they went limp: falling to the ocean, as though in slow motion. { _SPLASH – SPLASH_ , etc.}  
Finally: The massive creature simply lay there: steaming … _Dead_.  
For a full minute, there was silence. Then a chorus of shouts filled the air: Disbelief and fear from crews of the Kraken- Armada; euphoric jubilation from the combined forced of the Northern and Southern- Chieftains.

The shouting, on both sides, fell silent after close to a minute, too, though for a very different reason. As they had so many times, in recent weeks, everyone's attention was fixed on Hiccup and Toothless.

Moments after the Kraken died, a Night- Fury blasted towards the leading boat, of the Kraken Armada. Before he could do much more than glance at the approaching blur in puzzlement, Commander Bridgman… was ' _flying_ '.

More Night- Furies circled over the boats, waiting as the one that carried Bridgman rose to hover next to Toothless. Hiccup lifted the faceplate of his helmet, and said something.  
Whatever Bridgman said, Hiccup and Toothless didn't seem pleased. Lines of blue light traced a pattern on Toothless's scales, as did the scales of Hiccup's armor.  
Hiccup said something else to Bridgman; and, this time, received the response he wanted.

When Hiccup next spoke, his voice had changed. **"** _ **The Kraken- lords are not here; they have taken refuge on an island, three miles south of our boarders. They mean to make their final- stand there… They will be dealt with, soon enough. But first,**_ **"** he gestured towards the Kraken- Armada, **"** _ **FINISH THEM**_ **!"**

The order seemed to bring everyone back to the moment, a reminder that there was still a battle to fight. And it was an order, that no one had any reservations about carrying out.  
Roars of approval, from humans and dragons, filled the air; and Combined Forces of The North And South, moved to join the battle.  
Catapults fired, on both sides; Gronkles intercepted the enemy fire, and disgorged flaming boulders over the enemy ships. Every so often, they would also 'upgrade' a volley of friendly- fire, before dropping it onto the nearest boat.  
Within a quarter of an hour, the Night- Furies and Deadly- Nadders had reduced the catapults of the enemy ships to ruins.

While Toothless and Stormfly helped disable the Kraken- Armadas' catapults, Hiccup and Astrid 'caught up'. Hiccup had since sent the Commander of The Kraken- Armada to their lines, 'accompanied' by four Night- Furies; Bridgman would wait until The Chiefs chose to send for him.

"You are…" Astrid shook her head. "I'm going to need to find another word: ' _amazing_ ' really doesn't cut it, anymore."

"I'm good with ' _amazing_ ', Astrid." Hiccup grinned, "Coming from you, it means a lot." Astrid's face turned a little pink, and her smile widened.

 **Part Five – Answers**

There were questions, of course; when Hiccup, Astrid, and their dragons rejoined the others, at their forward position. And Hiccup was, clearly, prepared for this.  
He described the Dragon- Trance: How it had, over the past few years, enhanced his own natural abilities and senses; how these abilities became increasingly potent, should he choose to enter The Trance itself.

When he was asked about his armor, he described the history and providence of the ore that had been used to forge it. When he finished, two of the shadowy Night- Furies; The Ancestors, as they were also known; made a brief appearance, and reiterated what they had previously whispered to the newly- liberated hostages, soon after they arrived on Berk.  
"At the time," he concluded, "we believed that Toothless and I were alone in the forges, that night. I have since learned, however, that that was not the case… Freya, the Goddess of Fire herself; tended the flames of the forge, that night: enhancing them, and keeping them under control." – Awed murmurs rippled through the crowds, at this revelation.

Finally, Chief Marcus Grayclaw took a step forward. "Would I be correct to say, that you have regained the memories of your conversation with Thor?" The moment he said those words, all other voices fell silent.

"I have, yes." Hiccup admitted. "Parts of what Thor told me, during that vision, I am willing and able to share and discuss. Others…" he hesitated, "Others relate to a potential danger; to me, and to what I am trying to establish: a lasting peace, between humans and dragons. The best way for me to avoid that danger is to prevent _certain_ details from becoming commonly known. _I will_ tell you what I can, and I would ask that you accept my word that the parts I withhold, are with good reason."

A full minute passed in silence, as the listeners exchanged glances. Finally, Chief Ephraim took a step forward. "If what you say is true, and I have no reason to doubt that it is, it would be negligence on your part _to disclose_ the details of this… 'Danger' you speak of." He looked around, "Does anyone think otherwise?" – Nobody argued.

"I am glad you agree." Hiccup inclined his head. "There are more immediate concerns, of course; specifically: the island where the kraken- lords' intend to make their final- stand; but I can promise you this: the story, the parts of the vision I can share, and the events of the past five years; will be well- worth the wait, and it shouldn't be a long wait, at that."

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen – War of The Kraken: Final Stand**

 **Part One – A Long Wait, and Battle Plans**

 _The Kraken- Lords fallback- position; High- Lord Malchior_ ,

High- Lord Malchior sat in his 'customary place', at the middle of the 'high- table'; the other eight 'lords' sat alongside him: Roland, Ralden, Tarbek, and Emric to his left; and Locke, Ammon, Melbourne and Tristan on his right. Several dozen of their warriors sat on benches; which had been transported from their ship to the beach, and then to the cavern where the remains of their council 'held court'.  
Aside from the occasional muttered comment, the room was silent; aside from an occasional shift in position, the room was still. The only furnishings in the cavern were the table around which the lords gathered, and the benches that had been dragged in. There were only three ways in, or out: the tunnel that connected their cavern to the islands' main system, and two tunnels that opened behind the 'high- table': their only ways out, if it came down to it. (He'd been trying to convince himself that it wouldn't ever since they arrived; but… they'd fallen this far, why not _the rest_ of the way?)

Most of their warriors were outside: keeping watch, or working to repair as many of the damaged boats as they could. Those not on-duty had retreated into the caves and tunnels. Every minute felt like an hour; every hour, like a year. But there was little else to do but wait for news, and wonder what that news might be.  
In a mere two weeks, their entire world had been turned completely upside-down…

Bridgman's _first report_ came the previous day, confirming what they already suspected: "My lords," the man had said, "The Armada's reached the _original location_ of the frontlines; the ships are gone… The subjugated- tribes, the Northerners'; all of them."  
The _second time_ , the messenger was visibly on-edge: "My Lords; Commander Bridgman's sentries have sighted the enemy fleets: They've formed up into battle lines… The–They were _waiting for them_." As he spoke, the mood in the room seemed to drop even further.

' _How could this happen_?' Malchior raged, silently: from where he sat, at the 'high- table'. ' _We controlled almost half the world; how could_ _one __boy_ _have reduced us to … to_ _this_?' He forced himself back to his surroundings; cleared his throat, and began to speak: "Order the men to stop repairs; all combat- ready ships are to form-up beneath the overhang. Load the catapults; open fire as soon as the enemy is in range."

The messenger nodded in acknowledgment. "And the rest of the men, High- Lord?"

"The sentries are to remain at their posts; have the rest fall back, into the caves, for now." Malchior instructed. "When sails, or dragons, are sighted on the horizon; half are to take up positions in the forests, atop the overhang; attack as soon as the enemy is in range. Take captives, if the opportunity arises; it will give us something to bargain with. The rest are to hold the tunnels, between here and there."  
The messenger nodded; Malchior gestured a dismissal; the man bowed, and departed.

 **Part Two – Battle Commander**

 _At the forward- lines_ ,

Several minutes of silence followed Hiccup's words; for those few brief moments, the war had been all-but-forgotten.  
Brianna shook her head, "Ok… I can't take it anymore: What are you planning?" Her words sent murmurs of interest rippling through the crowd.

Hiccup's smile widened. "Well… Bridgman was in-charge of establishing, and securing their fallback- position; so he knows a lot about the place. The island is heavily forested, and has an … ' _extensive_ ' network of underground tunnels and caves; that's where the lords, and most of their warriors, have taken shelter." There was a brief pause; then he continued, "They've withheld a portion of their armada: damaged ships from the first wave, now under repair; and another two- hundred, battle- ready." He shrugged, "According to Bridgman."

Next to him, Astrid raised an eyebrow. "But… you don't believe him?"

"I do; to a point," Hiccup said, turning to her. "He was too off-balance to lie convincingly, as _even he_ would've known; he'll have told me what he _had to_ , while withholding as much as he could." Astrid nodded; Hiccup continued, "The bay, where they're working, is partially- sheltered by a thick overhang: Battle- ready ships formed-up beneath it, protected from aerial- attacks; Archers, net-launchers, on top: using boulders, stands of trees, for cover … It's _impressive_ , when you hear it aloud, but they've made a _pretty major_ oversight."

"Those defenses _sound solid_ to me," Chief Donovan commented. "What's this 'oversight'?"

"They've concentrated their defenses on the _northern side_ of the island," Hiccup said, simply. "It may _look like_ they're backed into a corner; one way in, one way out; but they made a point of having their people scout-out the island ... they wouldn't be so careless, not with _their lives_ on the line."

Bergan frowned, "But… What does that mean?"

"It means they have an _exit strategy_ ," Hiccup explained. "This island's supposed to be a fair size, and the cavern system ' _extensive_ '; but even a small system, on a small island, could have _multiple_ entrances … or _exits_ , depending on which way you're going."

Chief Tyrek' nodded, his expression thoughtful. "So if we move in from the front, they run out the back; use the time we'd _have to spend_ , searching the caves, for a _head-start south_."

"Or to regroup; somewhere else, on the island…" Thalia, Tyrek's eldest daughter; suggested a little timidly. She was twenty- two; dark- haired; tall for her age, and fit.

"Well said," Hiccup grinned, nodding to her; Thalia blushed, a little, and averted her gaze. "And it raises an … ' _interesting_ ' possibility."

Astrid considered Hiccup for a long moment, "You _want them_ to use their exit strategy, don't you?"

"When the time's right, yes: to get them out of the caves," Hiccup admitted. "But first, we need to divide our forces: The first wave leaves in the morning; sails far enough around the island to avoid detection, makes landfall on the _southern shore_. They'll locate and secure the tunnel entrances on _that side_ of the island, _quietly_. The second wave moves-in _the following_ morning: a gradual approach, from the north. We clear the overhang; land on the _northern shore_ , and make for the tunnels on _this_ side of the island. When word of the breach reaches them, the 'lords' go for their exits; convinced the threat is _behind them_ , closing fast, they'll run right into the _first_ wave." – The familiar current of murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"Or… would it be the _second wave_?" Tuffnut mused; a few people frowned at him, and he shrugged. "If the _first wave_ to leave, is the _second_ one to meet the enemy; then which one's–"

"You get the point; Tuffnut…" Heather rolled her eyes; then turned to Hiccup, "How are we going to clear the overhang, though; send in the Night- Furies?"

Toothless gave a low chuckle, **'A dozen of my cousins, it won't take more than that; not after Hiccup unleashes his …** _ **other surprise**_ **.'**  
Hiccup retrieved a cloth sack, from where it hung on the Night- Fury's saddle; and offered it to Tuffnut, gesturing for him to open it.

When Tuffnut opened the bag, and saw the contents, his eyes widened. "It this…?"

"It is… Eight jars of Monstrous- Nightmare gel," Hiccup confirmed. "I've arranged for _two_ Night- Furies fly you in: You leave in the morning; and will arrive, at the overhang, a little after nightfall. Do your prep here, before you go; when you're there, conceal as you move. Bring back everything you don't use, so they won't find any of your … _surprises_."

"Ok... Just so we know we're on the same page," Ruff said, "You want us to go to the overhang; use those," she gestured to the sack in her brother's hands, "how, and where, we want; but keep it on the down-low, so those kraken- dorks can't mess-up our work."

"Yeah, that… pretty much sums it up," Hiccup nodded. "Rig _whatever you want_ , as long as it's on the 'down-low'." He raised an eyebrow, "' _Special circumstances_ ', remember: You'll never get a chance like this again, so make it count."  
The Twins' faces split into identical, almost- sinister, grins; they fist-pumped, turned, and hurried away: already deep in conversation.

Tyrone looked from his Monstrous- Nightmare, to Hiccup; a small frown on his face, "What exactly is 'Monstrous- Nightmare gel'?"

' **A highly flammable substance my kind release, from glands beneath our scales,'** his dragon explained. **'It's what we ignite, when we set ourselves on fire.'**

"We started harvesting it, a few years ago." Astrid explained, "That way; we've always got a supply on-hand, when we need it."

"Ruff and Tuff's favorite hobbies are Loki-ing, and making things go 'boom'." Hiccup smiled wryly, "They do most of the … ' _quality- control_ ' work, on Berk: If a _sample_ withstands _their 'testing'_ …" – He let the sentence drift; it _didn't need_ to be finished.

From there the conversation turned to details and logistics, for what lay ahead. First they discussed, and decided, which ships would be in which wave; then moved on to signal- cues, and general timing. – Finally, Chief Tyrek nodded. "Well; I think we've covered everything."

"There _is_ one other thing…" Hiccup said; seconds later, every eye was on him. "I also want a number of ships, from the second- wave, to hold-back from the fight; to serve, instead, as medical- centers. I wouldn't expect much traffic in that department, but they should be well- staffed; volunteers only, of course." He noticed the listeners' confusion, and elaborated. "The enemy _will try_ to take captives during the fighting, to regain bargaining- power: The most likely targets, will be _our wounded_ ; the least-able to fight off attackers."

"Ah; I get it…" Astrid said, nodding. " _That's_ why you've sent The Twins to rig the overhang: We trigger their traps, clear the overhang in one pass; smash their ships before they realize they've lost the overhang; hit the tunnels before they solidify their underground defenses ... You're going for a ' _zero- captured, zero- fatalities_ ' two-in-one record."  
She blinked, and looked around. "Uh… Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think we're _actually on-track for that_!" – No one spoke for a full minute; then a current of low mutters moved through the group, like a gentle summer breeze.  
Astrid was right: No one, from any of the Combined Forces, had been captured or killed since the war had – _officially_ – begun. (It was, in fact, quite the opposite.)

"Nicely summarized; Astrid; as usual," Hiccup said, grinning. "I'm not here to sett records, though: I keep my mind in the present. If we sett, or break, a record; in the process–"

"I usually have to tell him about it afterwards," Astrid grinned; and shook her head, to show she was kidding.

"You might not be going for the record," Chief Hedrick commented, "but lets see if we can pull it off anyways; then we can _shove that_ in their ' _lordly_ ' faces, when this is over!"  
A bellow of approval rose from the crowd. Then, their plans finalized; the crowd began to disperse: going their separate ways, to make their preparations.

 _That evening; atop a fair-sized sea-stack_ ,

Hiccup and Astrid's tent was spacious but sparsely furnished: There was a small table, upon which rested a few maps and sheets of parchment; two sleeping rolls lay near the back wall, a thick fur blanket spread over them; two packs; and the stand where Hiccup's armor rested, when he wasn't wearing it. (Further down the sea-stack, four Night- Furies kept watch for any sign of danger.)

Hiccup, Astrid, and their dragons stood outside; as the sun was about to vanish, below the horizon, another dragon came in for a landing. Moments later, Windshear's claws touched the ground; Heather dismounted, "You wanted to see us?"

Hiccup and Astrid came to meet them; Hiccup nodded, "We did: There's something the two of you should know." He smiled, wryly. "You… might want to sit down, for this."  
The three riders sat, on the sea-stack; Toothless and Stormfly came to join them. "Do you remember the time I told you about my conversation with Thor; or, rather: what I knew of it, at the time?"

Heather nodded, "Yes; and what you said about a 'possible danger' to you, if the wrong people found out about it. But… What does that have to do with us?"

"Before I tell you," Hiccup said, "I'll need you to swear an oath of secrecy; in Thor's name." Heather blinked, clearly surprised, but she didn't hesitate; Hiccup nodded, and continued. "I've already explained the importance of the connection Toothless and I share, years ago; the memories Thor removed, relate to a reward he promised me, for unifying the humans and dragons."

Heather's expression became curious, "' _Reward_ ' … what kind of reward?"

"Deification." Hiccup said, simply. "So long as Toothless and I live out the whole of our natural lives; and, at least: appear to, die a mortal- death; I will claim the title 'Dragon- Lord; First of The Five': five _deified_ rider–dragon pairs; tasked with preserving the peace, between humans and dragons." His eyes glowed green; the blue lines flowed across his armor, and energy radiated out from where he sat. **"** _ **The transition has already begun; and it will continue, until a mortal- body cannot contain the energy**_." His eyes returned to normal, and the blue lines faded.

Heather's jaw dropped, " _Oh, Gods; you mean… Gods… Oh, Gods!_ " Astrid covered her mouth with one hand; Hiccup smiled and nodded. After a _long_ moment, Heather frowned. "What does this have to do with us, though?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "I _did_ say there will be _five_ Dragon- Lords, remember … I've chosen Astrid to be The Second – 'The Lieutenant'; and I am _considering_ you, Heather, as a candidate for The Fourth – 'The Envoy'; symbolizing the secrets of dragon- lore moving beyond Berks' boarders."

A series of expressions flashed across Heather's face: Awe, disbelief; and, finally; gratitude. A full minute passed before she found her voice; when she did, she asked, "Do you… Do you _really mean it_? … Windshear and I…" Hiccup nodded; Heather shook her head, "Thank you, Hiccup; whether we 'make the cut', or not; thank you." Windshear, too, expressed her gratitude and surprise.

Hiccup nodded, and continued. "The rest of Our Team, my mother, Gobber, and Eret know; as do Chief Thommen, his family; Chief Tyrek, and Tyrone. Like you, they have also sworn oaths of secrecy; though it'd be best to avoid discussing it… One person overhearing would be all it'd take, for rumors to begin spreading across the Archipelagos." Heather nodded, emphatically; Hiccup continued, "We should head in; tomorrow's going to be a big day."

Heather and Windshear again expressed their gratitude; then Heather clambered onto Windshear's back, and the Razorwhip rose into the sky. A moment later: they settled onto a nearby sea-stack, where they'd set up their camp.  
Heather waved, and vanished into her tent. Hiccup chuckled; he and Astrid exchanged grins, then the two of them entered their tent.

 **Part Three – The Forgotten Scrolls; Legends, Old and New**

 _The following morning_ ,

The first wave left an hour after sunrise; southern ships for the most part, accompanied by a mixed force, from each of the northern tribes.  
To take their minds off their concerns; the southerners who'd once been hostages, and most of the northern 'spectators' who'd come to watch 'The Battle', gathered around Hiccup and Astrid: all eager to hear about some of their adventures, of the past five years.

Hiccup considered for a moment, and then gave a wry smile. "I summarized this to Leanne, Lara, and Thom, while they were on Berk; but…" he turned to the members of the northern tribes, "I believe you've all heard a certain legend, referring to my ancestor; Hamish the Second?"

Leah raised an eyebrow, "'The Lost Treasure of Hamish the Second', you mean?"

"The _formerly- lost_ Treasure of Hamish the Second." Hiccup said, mildly. "I… _found_ a copy of the map, when I was fifteen. Apparently: Hamish- two and I, _share an interest_ in riddles ... the guy sure knew how to write them!"

"You're kidding!" Thalia gasped, forgetting her shyness from the previous day. " _You found_ … how long did it take?"

Astrid smiled, "About _five hours_ … the riddles barely slowed him down; and the reason Hamish- Two hid the treasure…" she shook her head. "I'm getting ahead of things."

"' _The reason_ Hamish hid the treasure'?" someone repeated.

"He left a message; a scroll, on a pedestal; at the entrance to his treasure- room," Hiccup admitted. "But that's at the end; better to begin at the beginning…"  
He took his time, telling the story; explaining the riddles, the journey: from one stage, to the next. And, at long last: he revealed the truth, which Hamish the First tried so hard to hide.

" _Hamish the Second… was a 'hiccup'_?" Thalia repeated, finally; her voice soft.

"He was..." Hiccup confirmed. "The riddles were… a test, of sorts: Many seek strength- of- body, but Hamish and I; we couldn't do that, when we were younger; so we trained our minds ... I'm not sure what Hamish did, with his free- time, but I'm an inventor; my glider, a … ' _multi-purpose_ ' shield, and…" he stopped midsentence. " _The 'thunder- ear'_ …"

Tanya frowned, "The … ' _thunder- ear_ '?"

"It's … hard to describe," Astrid admitted. "But Hiccup designed it, _years ago_ : to focus sound, traveling over a distance. It was going to be an early- warning system; amplifying noise from enemy ships before they got close enough to..." Her eyes widened, " _Of course_!"

"The prototype was destroyed, by three _very energetic_ Thunderdrum hatchlings, but _it worked_ ; had a range of almost _three miles_ , over open water." Hiccup elaborated. "I kept the plans, but … I'd _forgotten_ about them; until I was cleaning out my old work area, a few weeks ago: found the scrolls, with my diagrams and notes, still in their case…"  
For a long moment, there was silence; the listeners simply sat there, struggling to process the implications of what they'd just heard. Then came the questions, a lot of them; and after that, several minutes of silence.

"I _still_ don't know how Hiccup does everything he does…" Astrid said, finally. "Five years, four _separate_ enemies – not counting the Kraken- Lords; yet, our team has _one more_ rider–dragon pair than we started with," she nodded to Heather, who grinned. Astrid opened her mouth, as though to continue; instead, she sighed, and put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

"Five years; four enemies; a new addition to our team," Hiccup repeated, "and _two fatalities_ to our side … _both_ during the fight against Drago." He looked around, at the crowd. "The first was the former Alpha of The North, 'The White Sentinel'; the second … was _my father_."

"Your father?" Brianna asked, her eyes widening. "I mean… I knew that he… since you were Chief, but..."

Hiccup nodded, "He was planning to retire, wanted me to take over; we spent most of that afternoon setting a timeline, for a formal transfer- of- power … I _became Chief_ the following morning, but not the way we'd planned: Drago had decided I was a threat, _tried to kill me_ ; my father… intercepted the attack." – A chorus of gasps moved through the crowd.  
He sighed. "We can't change the past; all we can do is learn what we can from what happens, find some way to take control of it; and move forward."

"' _Take control of it'_?" Arya asked, shaking her head. "How are we supposed to 'take control' of this?"

Alana managed a small smile. "I'm going to go out on a limb, and say he's got a few ideas."

"Oh… _a few_ ," Hiccup agreed, nodding. "Take the kraken- lords' fancy robes… Personally: I'd like to get hold of a few squares with the insignia; get the edges stitched up, so it won't come apart; then, in years to come, every time I've got a cold…" He drew a square with his fingers, than mimed using it to blow his nose. He grinned, "Yeah … Picture the expressions on their faces, if they saw me doing that; and _just try_ to keep a straight face." – A ripple of laughter moved through the crowd.  
He shrugged, "And back to those robes: Cut some of the fabric into strips, lash them to the end of a good staff, and … _new mop_ ; comes with its own catch- phrase: ' _mopping the floor with the kraken- lords_ '." – The laughter increased in volume.  
He gestured, vaguely, with one hand. "Then there's the good old- fashioned washcloth, for dealing with life's messes." He cleared his throat, "I should probably give my throat a break; doing a lot of talking." – There was a general nodding of agreement; then the listeners began to talk, amongst themselves.

 _About fifteen minutes later_ ,

After a reasonable amount of time had passed; Thalia said, "There's something I've been wondering about, for years, really … The Night- Furies; people have told stories about them for years, but no one's ever seen one… Why not?" – The familiar murmurs of interest moved through the crowd.

Rider and Night- Fury exchanged a look; Hiccup raised a finger, "Excuse us for a moment." For several minutes, Hiccup and Toothless conversed in low growls.  
Finally; Hiccup nodded, "It's a sad story, actually, but it's one that needs to be told: About… three- hundred years before _our ancestors_ arrived in the Archipelagos; dragon- hunters operated in the region. Over time, word spread of a… _particular_ island: drawing in scores of hunters, each of them hoping to be first to kill a Night- Fury. One day… Four hatchlings were playing, near the heart of the island, under the watchful eye of two females; both in their early- teens … Sometime around noon, they were ambushed by a group of dragon- hunters; three of the four hatchlings, and one caretaker, were slain."

A chorus of exclamations rose from the crowd; dozens of the listeners clapped hands to their mouths, murmured low comments to those nearest them. Finally; Tanya found her voice, "But… the fourth hatchling, the second caretaker; they got away, right?"

"The second caretaker was wounded; a spear, through the side; before she got out of range. She made it back to their caverns; told the rest of the colony what had happened, then she… passed." Hiccup said, his voice soft. "The fourth hatchling had been traumatized so severely; she… she stopped eating: died of starvation, a few days later. Night- Fury scouts tracked the hunters to their base; then The Colony … _retaliated_ : The hunters, and all trace of their base, were… utterly annihilated."

Leah shook her head; and, after several attempts to speak; managed to say, "Good riddance." Several people nodded agreement; others simply sat there, shaking their heads.

"It didn't stop there," Hiccup said. "Two years ago, Toothless and I salvaged an 'artifact' from a shipwreck; The Reaper; which we'd found, and explored. The information it contained was what led us to explore 'the far reaches', where we found an _active- group_ of dragon- hunters. On hearing of our discovery, they claimed both the wreck, and device, were _their property_ ; lost at sea, years earlier; and demanded its _return_ ... We refused; on the grounds that it was a legitimate salvage, and knowing they'd use it to hurt more dragons."

Lara's eyes widened, " _Dragon- hunters_ built The Dragon- Eye?"

Leah frowned, "The 'dragon- eye'?"

"That's the name I chose, for the device we found," Hiccup explained. "These hunters had developed an arsenal of anti-dragon weapons, and knew what they were doing; it was … _challenging_ , and their leader; Viggo Grimborn..." His expression darkened, for a moment. "It's a long, complicated story; one for another time." He paused, to gather his thoughts.  
"Not long after the Night- Furies destroyed the hunter- base; Thor and Freya visited The Elders, who governed the colony: offered them a deal… So long as the Night- Furies restrained themselves; allowing humans to resettle the north, when they next came; the dragon, of the first pair, would be a Night- Fury."

' _WE ACCEPTED THEIR OFFER_ ,' the Ancestors chimed in. ' _AND THEN_ , _TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF FUTURE… "ENCOUNTERS", WE WITHDREW FROM THE WORLD. AND THEN, WE WAITED; AS OUR NUMBERS WITHIN, AND THE ORE ITSELF, GREW; WAITING, FOR "THE PROMISE" TO BE FULFILLED_.'

"For _six hundred years_ …" Lara shook her head, awed. "I can't even _begin_ to imagine what that must've been like!"

' _WE SCARCELY NOTICED THE PASSING TIME, IN TRUTH; OUR SLUMBER WAS AS DEEP AS ANY OCEAN_ ,' The Ancestors replied. ' _BUT NOW WE ARE AWAKE, AND READY TO FIGHT_.'

"Speaking of which," Hiccup glanced up: noting the suns' place, in the sky. "It's almost noon, now… We need to finish getting ready."

As they were getting to their feet; Bella asked, "Just how bad was this… 'Viggo Grimborn'?"

"Viggo was _ruthless_ , and _obsessed_ with 'Maces And Talons'; favored a ' _real- life version_ ' of the game, with _living game- pieces_ : pieces he was willing to sacrifice, to get what he wanted." Eyes widened, at this; Hiccup continued. "It was my first _real_ challenge, led me to… test my limits." Another pause. "He was the basis for my concern of a kraken- strategist."

"During our first council meeting; you said you ' _weren't overly concerned_ ' about the possibility…" Tyrone frowned, then grinned. "Never mind, I get it now: You'd already taken action; and you asked Chief Thommen to say as little about you as possible, in his 'report' … you were _cloaking your movements_!"

"I _had to_ …" Hiccup admitted, his expression serious. "With _two_ high- level tacticians, on _opposite sides_ of a war; the best scenario would have each of them fighting their own battles, until one strikes a decisive blow to their enemy: giving their side a clear advantage. If one suspected the other side had a tactician, too, they'd compensate for the possibility…"

"Like _you did_ ," Thalia pointed out, shuddering. "Thank the Gods…" Then she frowned, "What would happen if they _did find out_ about one another … hypothetically?"

Hiccup was silent for a ten count; then said, "Both tacticians would turn their full attention to their new rival; each striving to outthink, outmaneuver, or _outlast_ the other … Either way, _'collateral- damage_ ' would be putting it _mildly_."

As usual: Astrid was first to understand, "You thought it was only a matter of time."

"Initially, yes…" Hiccup admitted. "Then ' _someone_ ' handed me half the Kraken- Council's secrets; the … _insight_ into Bane, and his grandfather, was _particularly_ helpful." He nodded, to Chief Abram; then smiled, a little ruefully. "This may be hard to believe, but I'm still 'holding my punches' … If I must fight, I'll fight; but there's _so much more_ to life!" He patted Toothless on his lower- neck. "Isn't that right, bud?" – Toothless warbled in agreement, and thumped his head lightly against Hiccup's shoulder.

Several minutes passed in silence; then Sabrina said, " _Beard of Thor_ …"

"I know of only _four_ people who _could_ pose such a threat, as tacticians…" Hiccup continued. "Three of them, are dead; and _the fourth_ ," he gave a short half- bow, "has a great many years of life ahead of 'him' … Years 'he' would much sooner spend dragon- riding; Chief-ing; inventing; and," he put an arm around Astrid, " _so on_ ; thank you, very much!"  
The tension evaporated, several people chuckled; Hiccup saw the pride on both his wife's and mother's faces. "And on that, _much more positive_ note: Who wants to take _what's left_ of this 'kraken- empire' _apart_?" He raised his hands, and his sword and helm shot into them; moments after he'd donned his helm, 'Fury' ignited. " _Personally; I'm sick and tired of going easy on those guys_!" A chorus of disembodied growls punctuated his sentence.  
A roar of approval rose from those assembled: the humans, and dragons, who had been there from the start, and those who'd arrived more recently. The crowd began to disperse.

Nearby, Toothless's 'girlfriend' – to use the 'human term'; who'd taken on a 'go-between' role, between the humans of Berk and The Colony, so she could spend more time around Toothless; added her own 'voice' to the chorus of disembodied growls.  
(Whether you saw her or not, she was almost-always somewhere near-by; if you didn't see Toothless at Hiccup's side, chances were good that he was with _Shadara_. And both of them would be at the Black- Rider's side in moments, if the need arose.)

 _Meanwhile; the kraken- lord's island_ ,

Commander Bridgman's first two messages had arrived around midafternoon; the third message didn't. When, at last, the messenger arrived; his news was _no news_. "My Lords," he said, "Commander Bridgman has… has _missed his check-in_ : we can only assume that–that…" the sentence went unfinished. – It was a long time before anyone spoke: What was there to say? All they could do, now, was wait.

 _Same island; a few hours before midnight_ ,

Near forty-five minutes after they had drifted in, on still wings, for a landing; two black- dragons were rising into the sky; retracing the route they'd used to approach the island, in reverse. On their backs, sat two teenage- Vikings.

Then, in near- perfect unison, Ruff and Tuff said: " _This. Is. Going. To. Be. Awesome_!"

 **Part Four – To War!**

 _The following morning_ ,

The second- wave left the island, which had served as their forward staging- area, a few hours after sunrise.  
Shortly after they left, Astrid and Heather quietly briefed the volunteers on Snotlout, who remained convinced he was The Gods' Gift to Girls Everywhere. (Snotlout _would_ later try to talk to every girl who caught his eye; but never got more than a short polite exchange, before the girl(s) continued on their way.)  
Astrid also filled Heather in on how Fishlegs had pretended to compete with Snotlout for Ruffnut's affection; from when they'd left Dragon's Edge, under Heather and Windshear's supervision, to when _Eret_ arrived on Berk and Ruff got a crush on _him_. (Heather appeared relieved by the news, admitting she'd heard a rumor; and told Astrid she might tease Fishlegs a little, but didn't hold it against him.)

They'd been underway for a little under two hours, when two black dots appeared on the horizon. Moments after they'd appeared; one of the Night- Furies, who'd been circling overhead, spotted them; she dropped toward the leading ship, where Hiccup and Toothless waited. **'The Twins are on their way back; twenty minutes out, at most.'**

 _Eighteen minutes later_ ,

The news of their approach was, as it turned out, more dramatic than The Twins' arrival. Both Ruff and Tuff lay, slumped forward, on the back of 'their' respective Night- Fury; they were fast asleep.  
The Night- Furies landed on the foredeck of one of the medical- ships; where Hiccup, Astrid, and their dragons stood with a group of 'volunteers'. Moments later, and within seconds of one another, Ruff and Tuff slid forward, off of the backs of the black- dragons, and fell to the deck. They landed with near- simultaneous 'thumps'; jerked awake, and leapt to their feet.

Ruff looked around, bleary- eyed; then turned to 'her' Night- Fury, frowning. "Couldn't you have woken us up _before_ we landed?"

' **I thought you** _ **were**_ **awake,'** the Night- Fury female replied. **'You spent the last half- hour muttering, "Awesome, this'll be awesome" in my ear, after all.'** She tilted her head to the side, and gave a growly chuckle. **'It should be** _ **amusing**_ **, though, I'll admit.'**  
A moment later: Tuffnut's pet, Chicken, hopped off the Night- Fury's back, and onto Tuffnut's shoulder.

" _You brought 'Chicken', seriously_?" Astrid asked, incredulously.

"Hey, I'll have you know: Chicken _did her part_ , for the mission!" Tuffnut said.

"It's true; A little hard to believe, but true." Ruffnut said, nodding. "We had a close call, but she took care of it."

Astrid raised an eyebrow, "Ok… This, I need to hear."

"And so you shall!" Tuffnut said, grinning. "I'd just placed my last bag of–" Ruff elbowed him, and shot him a warning look; he nodded, "Right… spoiler, I hate spoilers … Anyways: I'd just planted _one of our surprises_ beneath a clump of bushes; when we heard voices; one of their patrols, _practically on- top of us_ …"

"I had the sacks with the gel jars, our … _other gear_ , and a 'empty- sacks' sack," Ruff interjected. " _Humph; not about to let some kraken- dorks ruin_ _our_ _part of the grand- finale_!"

Tuff cleared his throat, "They _didn't see_ _us_ ; but the bushes were still moving, when they got there. One of the kraken- warriors told the other two he'd seen something; and they started to come towards where we were hiding." He turned to the crowd that had gathered; and gestured, triumphantly, at his pet. "And that, was when Chicken stepped- up: she charged out, into the open, all 'bock- bock- bah-caw; bock- bah-caw-caw'!" he launched into his 'Chicken- imitation'.

Ruff watched her brother for a moment; then asked, "Do you have _any idea_ how ridiculous you look, when you do that? … _Seriously_!"

"Uh, no… As a matter of fact: I don't," Tuff said, rolling his eyes; he picked Chicken up, and straightened.

" _Ugh… Should've seen that coming_ ," Ruff muttered, rolling her eyes. "Anyways: They saw Chicken, and two of them started cracking up; one guy was like ' _Oh, no: it's a chicken! You think we can take it, or should we call for backup_?'"  
Several of the listeners were smirking; Tuff patted Chicken on the back, and Ruff continued. "Then _another_ guy said, ' _May–Maybe you should take it in for questioning, Don: it might know something_!'" Most of the listeners were now laughing, outright; a few were shaking their heads, and muttering to one another.

Tuff stepped forward, "While they were talking, Chicken darted back into the bushes, where we were. The first guy said ' _It could've been a dragon, though, or a rider; we had to check… It's gone, now, anyways; lets just get back to our rounds_!'" Tuff chuckled. "We were almost done, by then: Made our last few stops; slipped out, and here we are!"

"Brother," Ruff said, "I think we've truly outdone ourselves…" She turned to Hiccup, "We pulled out all the stops for this one; figured they deserved it."

"Not until we've sett it off!" Tuff said, adamantly. "Our reputations won't allow us to ' _skip_ ' Loki- Day; but after this, I think we could tone it down a bit… A few tripwires, maybe launch Snotlout out of a catapult; small stuff, just to mark the occasion." He turned to his sister; Ruff gave an agreeable shrug.  
Snotlout's eyes narrowed; he raised two fingers to his eyes, than pointed to The Twins. The message was clear: ' _I'm watching you two_.'

Hiccup grinned, and nodded. "That; Ruff, Tuff; is _exactly_ what I wanted to hear."

Moments later, thunder rumbled overhead; heads turned toward the sound, and uncertain murmurs moved through the crowd.  
Hiccup's smile widened, "A good sign… Who do we know who loves storms?"

Snotlout's eyes widened, "Oh no… Not him!"

The words had barely left his mouth, when a familiar roar echoed from somewhere overhead. The Skrill blasted out from the nearest bank of clouds, and towards the ships; he came to a stop, about forty feet above them, and began to circle.  
When he spotted Hiccup, came in for a landing; when his claws touched the deck, he growled something to the black- clad rider.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "Well … you've picked an… _interesting_ time to ask for that." The Skrill tilted his head, and growled something.  
"No, no; I'm just surprised," Hiccup stepped toward the Skrill; hands extended to either side. The Skrill lowered its head, until it hung between Hiccup's inward- facing palms. Human, and dragon closed their eyes; for several moments, they stood there… neither moving.

Then Hiccup took a few steps back; the Skrill raised his head, and shook himself slightly. Then a new voice spoke, **'** _ **Interesting…**_ **'** The voice crackled: just as lightning would, through the dragon to which it belonged. **'** _ **It was only recently that I decided I wished to learn this language; but times change, and we must change with them.**_ **'**

Hiccup nodded, "You also said you carry a message?"

The Skrill nodded, **'** _ **The Thunderer said to tell you this storm is of his making; he sends swift winds to speed you south, as he did those who came before, though they received no storm.**_ **'** He glanced up at the clouds, and chuckled. **'** _ **I am to accompany you; ensure no lightning hits these boats, and put the energy to … "good use", at journeys' end… I love being on Thor's payroll; that guy knows how to make a**_ _ **storm**_ **!'** He turned to Snotlout; who'd been backing away, slowly; 'almost' as though he knew what was coming.

"Hey; take it easy, big guy…" Snotlout said, as he backed away. "No need to waste your–" Before he could finish the sentence; a bolt of energy crackled out of the Skrill's left wing, and hit Snotlout. Moments later, it was gone: Snotlout stood there; dazed, but unharmed.

"Ok: I'm not complaining, far from it," Tuffnut began, "but… why do you keep doing that to him?"

The Skrill turned to him; tilting his head to the side, as though puzzled by the question. **'** _ **Seriously… have you met him?**_ **'**

Tuffnut and Ruffnut exchanged a look, and shrugged in unison; Ruffnut said, "Huh… fair point."

Snotlout scowled, " _Pluzzel-sluurrg frag-gaggle_!" Everyone close enough to hear burst out laughing; Snotlout charged to the rail, shaking his fist at the Skrill, as the dragon rose into the clouds. " _Zurn-flaggat kree-Bach_!"

 _The following morning_ ,

The unnamed- island had appeared as a distant smudge on the horizon, about an hour after sunrise. It was still a half-days' sail away, but the sight of it generated a flurry of activity.  
The storm continued to rumble, overhead; though it had subsided slightly, during the night; as though in a conscious effort not to disturb the rest of those travelling below it.  
They had also covered far more distance than they should have: The oars had not been touched, but the boats moved at speeds normally achieved only when sails and oars were used simultaneously.

At noon, Hiccup called a halt; they were as close to the island as the designated medical- ships were going to come. Everyone with family, on the other boats, took a few moments to themselves: promising that they'd see one another again soon.  
Hiccup and Astrid embraced, and kissed lightly; then Hiccup clambered onto Toothless's back. When the overhang fell, the black- clad rider, and his dragon, would accompany the main force into the caves.  
Once the battle had moved into the tunnels, Astrid would lead the second part of their force into the air. They would circle, high above the island; ready to move in if anyone on the south- side signaled for reinforcements, or to ferry a wounded fighter to the boats.

Hiccup and Astrid had made a promise; each to the other; the previous evening:  
Astrid had promised Hiccup that she and Stormfly would remain in the air: well out of reach of the kraken- warriors below. (Heather and Windshear would stay with them, as back- up.)  
In return: Hiccup promised he wouldn't remove his Night- Fury helm on, visor down, so long as he was in the caves. (Astrid knew he'd keep his promise, even if it sounded a little childish; and she would keep hers. – Promises had come to hold special meaning to both of them, since ' _the incident_ ' they'd both agreed to leave in the past.)  
When everyone was in place; the main body, of the second wave, continued forward.

 _Meanwhile; on the island_ ,

"My… Lords; ships… sigh–sighted, on… ho–horizon!" The messenger said, as he hurried into the cavern, panting heavily. He remembered himself, and bowed. "They're coming!"

Malchior forced a nod, "Are the men in position?"

"The… shih–ships ha…have moved be…beneath the over…overhang; the outer- defenses are almost ready," the man reported. "We've also checked the 'Strikers', from the ships Bridgman left with us; they're intact, operational, and ready to deploy."

"Keep us informed of any changes." Malchior nodded, already gesturing a dismissal. The man bowed, turned, and left the way he'd come.  
The 'Strikers' might take their foes by surprise, but it wouldn't be enough to turn the tide.

" _Why are we just sitting here_?" Emric asked, for what must have been the hundredth time. " _We should_ –"

"We've been over this; over, and over, and over again!" Lord Tristan said, coolly. "The reasons are the same now as they were _the first time_."

Malchior scowled, as the argument replayed itself – again. The matter had been settled the previous morning; now, for good or ill; the dice had been rolled. What would be would be: It was out of their hands.  
The same question repeating itself over and over, in his head: ' _How could this happen? How could this happen?_ '

 _The leading- ship_ ,

Hiccup stood on Toothless's back; Toothless stood in the middle of the foredeck. A dozen warriors stood in front of them; ready to move in, when the ship made landfall. The rest of the first row of ships extended to their left and right, the others following in good order.  
The men with them couldn't know it; but beneath his helm; Hiccup's eyes were closed. They could see that Toothless's eyes were closed, but nobody commented on that; and that both rider and dragon were breathing in perfect unison.  
The more in-sync they were, Hiccup had explained, the easier it was to enter the Dragon- Trance, should the need arise. The warriors on the boats nearest to them also noticed these things; and a sense of anticipation settled over the groups.

Half an hour after they'd parted company with the medical- ships; a faint sound, from somewhere ahead of them, prompted Hiccup and Toothless to open their eyes.  
A moment later: One of the men in front of them pointed at a dot, in the sky ahead, and shouted "Incoming!" Even as he spoke, several more of the dots rose into the sky, as though they'd been launched into the air.  
Hiccup retrieved a spyglass from his satchel, and peered through it: considering the unidentified objects. Between the spyglass, and his enhanced vision, he was able to discern details that would've escaped anyone else.  
He chuckled, " _Interesting… It looks like they have a few gliders of their own_."

"Gliders?" one of the Shivering- Shores' warriors asked, uncertainly.

"Uh; Hiccup…" Fishlegs called, from the boat to their immediate left, "if they've got gliders, shouldn't we get in the air; take them down before they get overhead?"

Hiccup chuckled; and, his voice reverberating from beneath his helm; said, " _There's no cause for concern: Their construction is similar to one of my early glider- prototypes; a version I quickly discarded, due to a structural- flaw_."

"A structural- flaw?" Tyrone asked, clearly interested.

The black- rider nodded, " _Have our archers; ready their bows. Once in-range, fire arrows a little to one side: force them to bank; repeatedly, to the other side; to evade them_." A hint of grim amusement colored his voice; he turned back to Tyrone, " _The frames appear solid, on initial inspection, but they're only 'good' for short distances; they'll be near their limit by the time they're in-range, and the extra side-to-side motion will cause the crosspieces to detach from the main connector … The archers from our first two lines should be more than sufficient. Continue the advance; ahead full_." He paused just long enough to roll his eyes, " _I'll give them credit, though: They could've just jumped off the overhang; but what fun would that be_?"  
His orders, and 'comment', were quickly relayed to the other boats; low chuckles drifted back, to where Hiccup and Toothless waited, as the orders were carried out.

' **They seem impressed with you, as a Battle Commander.'** Toothless commented, speaking so only Hiccup would hear. **'Not that I'm surprised.'**  
Hiccup smiled, and sent his partner a silent acknowledgment, through their bond.

 _A few minutes later; aboard the rightmost medical- ship_ ,

Every few minutes, since Hiccup and the rest of the second- wave had departed, Astrid had lifted her spyglass to her eye. She would survey the ships, themselves, then jump ahead to the island itself. So, of course, she was the first to spot the distant black dots: as they rose up, from the island.

Brianna was first to notice the change in Astrid's expression, when she realized what the 'dots' were; and asked, "What is it?" The question immediately caught the attention of those nearest them; and, in short order, everyone else.

"It looks like the kraken- warriors are deploying some kind of gliders, too…" Astrid said, returning her attention to their fleet; she saw a flurry of activity, and grinned. "I think Hiccup's got it covered, though."  
Just then, a flight of arrows rose into the air; the approaching gliders banked to evade them. Another volley of arrows rose into the air; then a third, and a fourth… The gliders banked; and banked; and banked again. Astrid frowned, bewildered. "What are you up to, Hic–"

A sudden, panicked shout came from somewhere ahead, and high above them; then one of the gliders plummeted toward the waves. Astrid raised her spyglass to her eye, focusing on the rapidly descending figure; she frowned, "What the…? The thing just … came apart, in midair! It's as though…" her voiced drifted off, her eyes widened. " _Oh. My. Gods_... it's Hiccup!"

"What?" Alana asked, eagerly. "What did he do?"

"Hiccup experimented with glider- prototypes for _months_ before building the one he uses now." Astrid explained, lowering her spyglass. "He must've drawn a parallel between _their gliders_ and _one of his early- prototypes_ ; he's using whatever flaw lead him to discard that design … their gliders are _literally coming apart_ in midair!"

Several minutes passed in silence, as they watched glider after glider fall from the sky; and the ships from the second wave, drawing ever closer to the island where the kraken- lords had chosen to make their final stand.  
Then one glider spiraled away from the others; spiraling downward, and coming straight towards them. A few minutes later, the man slammed into the mast of their boat; and fell to the deck. He stumbled forward a few steps; muttered, " _I could've worked in my parent's bakery, but no_ …" then fell flat on his face, unconscious.

Astrid approached, cautiously, her axe in hand. She removed the man's sword from its sheath; an arrow from the crossbow, built into the gliders' lower frame; and the quiver of arrows that hung from the man's shoulder. She backed away, and turned to the others; "Does anyone have some rope handy? We should tie him up, before he comes-to."  
It took a few seconds for the others to process her words; then someone came forward with the rope. A few minutes later, the downed kraken- warrior had been securely bound to the ships' mast. By then, their fleet had crossed over half the distance between where they waited, and the island.

Then, moments before the ships moved into range of the overhang, the Skrill shot out from the belly of the storm clouds, overhead. Miniature bolts of lightning crackled across its scales; he roared, and bolts of lightning crackled out of the storm. By the time the lightning had faded; twelve Night- Furies were in the air, speeding toward the overhang.  
The first plasma- blast hit a clump of bushes close to where the gliders had first appeared. There was a flash, and a muffled explosion; quick and sudden, sending several dozen men flying; then it tapered off. Another blast set several trees on fire, as well as generating an explosion and sending people flying. Then it was impossible to tell which plasma- blast caused what: the overhang was in _chaos_.  
Moments after the Night- Furies began their assault on the overhang; the Skrill dove towards the ships that were being repaired. He launched a crackling blast of energy at the ships beneath the overhang; a clear warning, to keep their distance; than proceeded to carve a swath of carnage through the abandoned ships, sending most of them to the bottom of the bay.

The attacking fleet was quick to cover the remaining distance; then their catapults opened fire. In a matter of minutes, the 'repaired ships' were on their way to join their damaged counterparts, on the bottom of the bay: while their crews struggled to abandon ship, and swim for shore.  
When the job was done, the boats pulled ashore. The dragons' rose into the sky, and most of the warriors disembarked: securing the beach, and making for the caves. Others pushed the boats off of the beach, and moved them a short distance offshore.

The 'show' was so impressive; Snotlout seemed to forget his latest encounter with the Skrill. " _Nerf-blurk thrawn; scra-friggle cricks shmig-eg-ey_!" he said, nodding appreciatively.  
The crews, and volunteers, on the medical- ships laughed so hard, many had tears streaming down their cheeks; Snotlout scowled, and slapped his fist against the rail. " _Don-grit_!"

 _ **To Be Continued**_ **…**


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen – War of The Kraken: Final Stand** _ **(cont.)**_

 **Part Five – Into the Tunnels**

 _On the beach of the kraken- lords' island_ ,

As the first line of ships made landfall, Toothless rose into the air: Hiccup on his back. The other dragons quickly joined them; most circling over the beach, others flew further inland to do aerial- recon.  
Once the warriors had disembarked; a detachment of guards guided the ships back into open water. (Both to make room for the next rank of ships to land, and to ensure their ships didn't fall into enemy hands, after they'd moved inland.)

Confident everything was running smoothly, and with his force; a fair- sized detachment of Berk warriors, their dragons, and a 'mixed force' of southerners; formed up, Hiccup and Toothless lead the way to a tunnel almost directly ahead of where they'd come ashore.

 _A short time later_ ,

When they entered the tunnel, the light dimmed; not much, but noticeably; and the further they went, the dimmer it got. About a hundred feet in, they found a lit torch: wedged into a niche, in the cave wall, so it stood upright; the light it gave illuminating a small section of tunnel. Further down the tunnel was another dot of light: beyond that, total darkness.  
They slowed to a stop, about fifteen feet from the illuminated section of tunnel.

Bergan frowned, eying the torch. "I don't like this: We'd be easy targets for archers, once we move into the light…"

Toothless chuckled; closed his eyes, and uttered a low- pitched roar. Moments later, the echoes returned, his ears flicking left and right, to catch them. **'It's all clear … this passage runs more-or-less straight for another few hundred feet; then angles to the right.'**  
Hiccup could tell the southerners had questions; they resisted the urge to ask them, however. He signalled, and they continued to advance. They reached the spot where the second torch burned a few minutes later; a little further on, the tunnel angled to the right … just as Toothless had said.

 _Further on_ ,

About twenty minutes in, they rounded another corner, and found three side passages branching off from the main tunnel. The first was to the right, and appeared to double back; the second was to their left; the third, and last, was on the right.  
Motioning for the others to wait, Hiccup and Toothless approached the first opening. They considered it for a long moment, then the Black- Rider raised his arms to either side: three tendrils of shadow rose into the air. In barely more than a whisper; Hiccup said, " _Gralh-gra-rawk-heath: Scrah-rhak cree-rak, thir-gralh scrah-rha-cree_."

The three Ancestors murmured something in reply; then they vanished, each into one of the three side tunnels. Moments later, they were back; each murmured something to the Rider and Dragon, before melding back into the dragon- scale armor.  
Hiccup raised a finger to his lips; gestured to Spitelout and twenty other men, and motioned down the tunnel. He turned to Captain Marcus next, and then to Bergan: signalling for each to take as many warriors into the next two tunnels. (Bergan's group consisted entirely of southerners.)  
Moments later: Shouts of surprise, and sounds of combat, emanated from all three openings. The noise quickly diminished, faded to silence; then their warriors emerged, returning to their places in the column. Aside from a few nicks on their shields, and a few small cuts, they were unharmed; all were grinning, as they re-joined their main force.

"Well… those fellas won't be reporting back!" Spitelout commented, evoking a ripple of low chuckles.

" _No… I imagine they won't_ ," Hiccup said, with a hint grim amusement. " _Forward_!" Rider and Night- Fury turned, and continued down the tunnel; the warriors, dragons, and mounted- riders followed.

 _Meanwhile_ ,

Stormfly and Windshear circled high above the island, Astrid and Heather on their backs. A quarter of an hour had passed: since their fleet had made landfall, and the warriors aboard had vanished into the cavern- system.  
"Astrid… You 'ok'?" Heather asked, a note of concern in her voice. "You've been very quiet."

"I'm fine; it's just … even when I'm not ' _with_ ' Hiccup," Astrid grinned, and tapped the side of her head, "my mind is."

"Yeah, well; try to keep your mind ' _here_ ', ok?" Heather suggested. "' _Captured by Drago_ ' was a _close- call_ ; if _these guys_ pull a fast- one … we don't need a repeat of ' _Viggo's auction_ '."

"Good point," Astrid shuddered. "Hey; after we finish this circuit, how about we make a few passes over the _south- side_ of the island; maybe check-in with the first wave?" – Stormfly, Heather, and Windshear immediately voiced their agreement.

 _On the southern- side of the island; near a tunnel entrance_ ,

Donovan had spent most of the past day replaying the previous few days in his mind; now his full attention was on the past thirty- six hours.  
 _On making landfall, the Chiefs in the First Wave sent small groups to scout their side of the island: Searching for tunnel entrances, and anything that might either help or hinder what they'd come to do.  
Once the last of the scouts had returned, and the chiefs had conferred; they moved into their current positions. The greater portion of their strength was gathered about half a mile south of their sentry- positions, from which the tunnel- entrances were kept under constant surveillance. Smaller teams manned the sentry- posts, their full attention fixed on their designated tunnel; each hoping to see the lord they'd spent years cursing come bolting into the open like a frightened rabbit_.  
Forcing his mind back to the present, _Chief_ Donovan glanced around, and then up. Almost immediately, he spotted two dragons, flying high above them.  
He shaded his eyes, and squinted: Both dragons had riders, and he was almost–certain he knew who they were ... It could mean only one thing: The second wave was in the tunnels.

 _In one of the islands' tunnels; Chief Hedrick_ ,

The moment he set foot on the beach, _Chief_ Hedrick was shouting for his warriors to form up: unnecessary, really, but no matter. Once the last man was in place, they set off: heading deeper inland, and angling to the east.  
Hiccup had organized the fleets, by tribe, into 'blocks' of ships; and had two tribes sailing, and making landfall, together. One turns east, the other west: each taking the first tunnel they came to, and continue accordingly. (When they reached the last tunnel, the process would repeat: a wave of reinforcements.)  
For the first time, Hedrick wished he'd been able to bring more of his fleet; but, of course, the kraken- lords only allowed fifty ships per-tribe … so they wouldn't ' _get any ideas_ '.  
Hedrick snorted, to himself. ' _So that their secret- armada could crush us, if we "got any ideas", more like … for all the good it did them_.' He chuckled at the thought, than returned his full attention to what lay ahead.

They'd entered their tunnel cautiously; expecting enemy- warriors to come boiling out at any moment … Nothing. As they advanced, the light grew increasingly dim. Their initial feeling of disappointment became tinged with unease; then they rounded the first corner, and saw a torch wedged into a natural- niche, in one wall. And, further on, a flicker of light that could only be another torch.  
"I don't like this…" Goren commented, turning to Donovan. "There could be a tunnel- full of archers down there; we wouldn't know it till they started filling us with arrows. We could send scouts, but…"

' **Let me…'** the nearest of the three Night- Furies, who accompanied them, stepped forward. She closed her eyes, and released a low- pitched roar. The sound echoed down the length of the tunnel, then returned; the black- dragon's ears rotated, to left and right, to receive them.  
She opened her eyes. **'It's clear… Tunnel angles to the left, about fifty feet down; a few sharp turns … Maybe side- tunnels, further in; the echoes have been distorted.'** Donovan, and several of his captains, exchanged glances; by silent agreement, they decided now wasn't the time to ask questions. At their Chief's signal, they continued to advance.

Half an hour later, in a stretch of tunnel lit by two torches, they found the side tunnels. Four of them: The nearest was to their left; the next two were directly across from one another; and the fourth beyond them, to the right.  
Wordlessly, the Night- Furies padded forward: each pausing at an opening, tilting their head to listen. All three turned to nod at the human warriors, and vanished into the darkness of the passage they'd chosen.  
Seconds later, several dozen voices shouted curses. Blue light flashed, in three of the side- caverns: once, twice, and again. Then several men bolted from each passage, into the main tunnel like flushed quail; they caught sight of the army, and froze: clearly stunned into speechlessness. For a full ten seconds, the southerners and the kraken- warriors just stood there: staring at one another, as though unsure what to do next.

Then a dozen kraken- warriors appeared in the entrance of the fourth passage. One of them, presumably the leader, was glowering. " _You'd better have a good reason for_ –" Chief Hedrick cleared his throat, and the kraken- captain turned; his eyes widened, then narrowed, just as quickly.  
The kraken- captain and his men drew their swords, "Hold your ground, men… Remember: We are _Warriors of The Kraken- Empire_! We fight _to the bitter–_ "

At that precise moment, the Night- Furies reappeared; all three were staring at the knot of kraken- warriors, growling. One tilted his head to the left, **'Go on;** _ **say it**_ **… say "the word".'**

The captain blinked, then gulped; "Uh … On _second thought_ …" he sheathed his sword, and turned his men. "Horst: You're in-charge; I'm going to go … uh… _report to The Council_. Yeah, that's it: I'm going to … just go, now." – He turned, and fled down the main tunnel.  
Five seconds passed in silence; then Horst dropped his sword, and bolted. The rest followed.

Another ten seconds passed, in silence; Donovan blinked, and turned to his men. " _What in blazes are we standing around here for? Advance_!" – His men roared, and they charged after the fleeing kraken- warriors.

 _Chief Hiccup_ ;

The second time Hiccup and his warriors stopped, it was for a very different reason: Ahead of them, the tunnel divided into three smaller passages. Two men stood, side by side, before the middle opening. They looked to be in their mid-thirties; wore richly decorated armor and shields, and a sheathed sword at their hip. They were dark- haired, muscular, and shared a strong enough resemblance to suggest they were related.  
Bergan, and the other southerners, stiffened; Hiccup noticed, " _The Iron Sentinels_?" his tone making the words a question.

Bergan nodded, "Yeah; the two best swordsmen in the kraken- empire: they've killed a lot of people; my uncle, for one … my mother's brother." His expression darkened. "It happened just after she and Brianna were taken; we… we had to tell them, on Berk."

"You go no further; Dragon- Master," the man on the left declared, in the same heavily accented voice as the kraken- lords. He shot Bergan a coolly disinterested look, "Yes… Many have tried to best us; but all of them, we have cut down ... I am Valdir."

"And I, Fenrir," said the other man, also stepping forward. "Turn back now, or Die by our hands." He paused for a ten count. "Your answer?"

Instead of answering: Hiccup leapt down from Toothless's back, and drew 'Fury'. To the warriors and dragons behind him, he said, " _Give us room_."

The warriors and dragons backed up; the 'Iron Sentinels' drew their swords, and charged. Hiccup parried Fenrir's first cut, and leapt aside: avoiding a high–low slash from Valdir. He jabbed at Valdir, who dodged; then parried a strike from Fenrir.  
Minutes passed: Hiccup gave ground without contest; blocking a blow from one foe, before striking at the other. From the tunnel where they waited; his warriors watched, awed. They could see what was happening: Hiccup was studying – _analyzing_ – his enemies' fighting styles; once he had what he needed…  
Fenrir lunged, slashing at him; Hiccup sidestepped, used 'Fury' to block another high–low slash from Valdir; pivoted, and kicked Fenrir in the chest. The blow sent Fenrir flying backwards: he cracked his head against the side of the rightmost tunnel, leading out of the room; and fell to the ground, unconscious.  
For the next three minutes, Hiccup and Valdir fought one–on–one: A one-sided fight from the start … every time Valdir slashed at Hiccup; the Chief of Berk would block, or deflect, or evade the blow. Valdir was tiring, visibly; Hiccup, somehow, was not.  
Movement, and groaning, heralded Fenrir's return to consciousness. When Hiccup saw the second man pushing himself to his knees; he pommel- whipped Valdir, in the side of his head, then stabbed him in the gut … a wound that couldn't be anything but fatal.  
Fenrir rose just in time to see the blow land, and to see Valdir fall.

" _Brother_!" Fenrir rushed over, and dropped to one knee; Hiccup withdrew, slightly, though he kept his blade at the ready. Each brother gripped the others' free- hand, even as Valdir's sword fell from his other hand, clattering to the floor.

" _I–I'm sorry, brother; the fight is yours to finish, now.._." Valdir muttered, weakly. " _Don–Don't unh–underestimate him … he's_ –" his head dropped to the floor, and he lay still.

" _Your brother…_ " Hiccup said, softly, his voice reverberating from beneath his helmet. " _That is … regrettable… but it was necessary: he, you, and the kraken- lords, have made it necessary_."

Fenrir heard him, but the words seemed to hold no meaning to him. He still held his sword; now, he took up his brothers, as well; and straightened, glaring at Hiccup. "You … _You_!"  
He lunged at the Chief of Berk, swinging the two blades; bellowing a wordless challenge.

Normally, fighting an opponent wielding two swords; armed with only one; would've made for a very short fight. But Hiccup had journeyed beyond the limits of an ordinary human: 'Fury' became a shadowy blur; moving so fast, at times, it appeared to be a double- bladed weapon.  
Then, about a minute into the fight, Valdir tried a new trick: He slashed and, when Hiccup dodged, lunged sideways: slamming his shoulder into Hiccup.  
Hiccup, apparently expecting a trick; transferred his sudden momentum into a flip. He landed on his feet, knees bent slightly, to absorb the impact of landing.  
Then, to everyone's surprise, he sheathed 'Fury'. Before Fenrir, or those watching, could do more than frown in confusion, Hiccup thrust out his right hand. Immediately, tendrils of shadow shot out of his armor; wrapping around Fenrir's arms and legs, lifting him into the air. The Black- Rider flicked his hand to the left, the tendrils slammed Valdir into the near wall; he flicked his hand to the right, and Fenrir was slammed against the far wall.  
The tendrils released him, then: melding back into Hiccup's armor. Moments later, Hiccup was standing over him: 'Fury' in-hand. " _Justice_ …" he said, softly. " _'Justice'; for all those you've killed_ …" 'Fury' descended.

A long moment passed in silence; then Bergan said, "My Uncle's death has been avenged… and many others, as well." Around him, his fellow southerners nodded agreement.

" _And there is much, still, to do_ ," Hiccup turned, looking down the tunnel now open to them. Two men stood, at the end of the tunnel: open-mouthed, terror written on their faces; they turned, fled around the corner. " _Though I think we've achieved our main objective_."

Bergan turned just in time to catch a glimpse of them; it was enough. " _Yes we have_ : those were the High- Officiators; they handle a lot of the day-to-day matters, and answer _directly to the kraken- lords_!"

Hiccup chuckled, " _Well… lets see if we can raise their voices a few octaves before they get there_ …" He walked into the entrance of the cavern, cupped his hands to his mouth, and called, " _Advance_!"

Sure enough, a few seconds later, a pair of shrill voices reached their ears: " _Gods preserve us; they are coming_!" was first; followed, moments later, by " _Don't talk, fool: Run! We have to warn The Council_!"  
Moments later, the second voice was shouting: " _Don't just stand there, fools: Attack! Attack!_ " A chorus of shouts sounded, from somewhere beyond where the tunnel curved out of view.

" _Warriors on-foot, at the front; clear enough space for the dragons to manoeuvre, when they come though_ …" Hiccup ordered. " _I'll send-in The Ancestors just after our lines meet, a few dozen at a time; they'll help however, and wherever, they can; watch for any opening they give you_." He regarded the warriors, and nodded. " _Now: CHARGE_!" – His warriors bellowed, the dragons roared; and warriors on-foot, surged forward.

 **Part Six – 'Exit Strategy'**

 _Fifteen minutes later; the kraken- lords' cavern_ ,

Aside from the nine remaining kraken- lords, their cavern was empty. When word of ships, on the horizon had arrived; early that morning; they had instructed all of their remaining warriors to man their defenses – such as they were.  
The Imperial Officiators, Olaf and Omar, had been sent to coordinate with their various lines of defense: Receiving news, and keeping them updated on the battle; relaying orders, via messengers, to their various lines of defenses. High- Lord Malchior had even sent the 'Iron Sentinels', their finest swordsmen, to defend the cavern where The Officiators worked.  
Despite all of their precautions, a deep feeling of unease hung over them: the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

The sound of footsteps, and heavy panting, echoed down the tunnel leading to their cavern. Moments later: The Officiators rushed into the room; panting heavily, eyes wide with fear.

"Olaf, Omar; what's happened?" High- Lord Malchior demanded, already beginning the ( _somewhat- laborious_ ) task of standing.

Olaf, the older of the two, took several deep breaths; then rasped, " _Drag–Dragon Ma– Master, lea–leading … foe–force through tunnels; men say… more, other tunnels!_ "

" _Impossible_!" Lord Melbourne shot to his feet; wide-eyed and white-faced. " _The overhang; the rest of our ships; the–the 'Strikers'_ …" his hands were shaking uncontrollably.

" _How did they come so far, so quickly_?" Lord Tristan demanded; his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were turning white. " _At the very least, we should've had more warning!_ "

Omar took several deep breaths; then, " _Survivors from … ships report explosions … above them; upper- defenses … cut- off; no word_!" Another deep breath, " _No time: Fenrir and Valdir are dead, killed by … Dragon- Master; he spotted us, at … end of their tunnel; rest of garrison … trying to slow them, but … reinforcements; other tunnels … too many!_ " He shook his head, " _It's only a matter of time: the defenses are collapsing!_ "

Malchior jerked back so quickly, he knocked over his chair; he almost tripped over it, but managed to keep his footing. He glared at the other lords, " _ARE YOU DEAF; MOVE_!"  
Seconds later, the remaining eight lords were on their feet; Emric opened his mouth to speak, but Malchior silenced him with a raised hand.  
As per their plan, the nine remaining kraken- lords split into two groups; of six, and three, respectively; each charging through one of the two tunnels behind the 'high- table'. Then they were gone, leaving the empty cavern behind.

Malchior was with the larger group, which took the tunnel to the right. They hurried along the passage with the aid of two torches; Roland held one, Emric the other.  
After about five minutes, the tunnel spilt again: Malchior, Roland and Ralden went left; Emric, Tarbek and Locke turned right. – Emric bolted down 'his' tunnel, the others following close behind, to keep up with the torch; Malchior glared after them, then he and his group continued down their tunnel.

 _Ten minutes later; nearing the tunnel entrance_ ,

By the time they saw sunlight, ahead of them; Malchior was sweating, and panting heavily. He was also sick of Roland's endless muttering about how they needed to hurry, to re-join the others at the isolated cavern system they'd chosen as their final sanctuary.  
 _A medium-sized cavern that was fully isolated from the islands' main system: one-way in, one-way out… at least, by land. … Near the far wall; a single, hidden tunnel, led to a partially flooded cave; where four ships sat waiting for them._ _  
Bridgman had seen to it that they had sufficient provisions to last a month. Sooner or later, someone would get careless; stray from their patrol, on a search of the tunnels, to "answer natures' call", maybe… They would be seized and either they, themselves, would prove useful; or, after enough people disappeared, someone important would come searching for them_.  
These were the thoughts running through 'High- Lord' Malchior's mind; as he, Roland and Ralden emerged into daylight.

By then, all three of them were panting heavily; they stood in the entrance, resting their hands on their knees. Finally, they trudged out into the open; each raising a hand to shelter their eyes, as they readjusted to the sunlight.  
"Gods…" Malchior said, still breathing hard. "When did I get so _****ing fat_?"

" _I really can't say_ ," a familiar voice said, coldly. " _Long before we first … 'met', kraken- lord_."

" _I wasn't asking you, Donavan_ …" Malchior snapped, taking a few more steps. Roland and Ralden froze where they stood; then comprehension dawned, Malchior's eyes bulged.  
By the time he looked up, they were surrounded: There were ten… fifteen… twenty of them. Chief Donovan gestured to the two nearest to them, and said something he couldn't hear; the men nodded, and hurried off.

"H–How … How?" Ralden stammered; his face was pale, his eyes wide, as he took in the scene. "This cannot be… You couldn't…" Next to him, Roland seemed unable to form words: he just stood there, gaping at the southern- chieftain, and his men.

Malchior's eyes narrowed, "It was _the boy_ , wasn't it; the _Dragon- Master_."

"Indeed it was!" Donovan confirmed, chuckling. "You _have to admit_ : he's good…" he turned to his men, "Bind them!"  
Three of his warriors produced lengths of rope, while the others closed in: wrestling Malchior, Roland, and Ralden's hands behind their backs, than binding them together.  
Donovan grinned with evident satisfaction, "Lets get them back to camp; hold them there, until we can get word to my ship." To the captured kraken- lords; he added, "I've dreamt of this for years, but its even better in-person; life doesn't get much better than this!"

A shadow fell over them; looking up, they saw the Skrill coming in for a landing. He took in the scene; then chuckled, **'** _ **Hold that thought**_ **…'** – An instant later, three crackling bolts of energy crackled out of its right wing: each striking one of the three bound kraken- lords.  
A few moments later, the thin tendrils of energy faded: leaving the three kraken- lords dazed, but unharmed.

"Snark-verrn thrak-nazzle!" Ralden complained.

"Hugh rah-rash; hra-gra-shra-rah!" Roland said, glaring at Ralden. His eyes widened; he slammed his a fist against his leg, and muttered something unintelligible.

"Earlier comment retracted," Chief Donovan said, the corner of his lip twitching. "' _Life doesn't get much better than this_ '!"  
The Skrill smirked, than shot back into the sky: vanishing from view, a few moments later. The warriors laughed, and turned their attention to Malchior; the 'high- lord' merely clenched his jaw, glaring around at his captors.  
Donovan shook his head; grinning so widely, the muscles of his face were beginning to ache. He turned to his men, "Gag them too: We need our wits about us … this isn't over yet!"

 **Part Seven – Clearing the Caves**

 _Meanwhile; back in the caves_ ,

Bergan was one of the first warriors into the tunnel; the others, like him, came from one of the southern- tribes the kraken- lords had subjugated. Their swords were draws, shields up; they kept to a steady pace, rather than running all-out.  
Ahead of them, the tunnel began to turn; Bergan was just thinking how it'd be a mistake for them to charge blindly around a corner, when the enemy him charged into view: charging toward them. Bergan instinctively raised his shield; seconds later, he felt and heard an axe- hand buried itself in the wood. He moved his shield to the side, stabbed the man, who went down like a sack of rocks.  
Moments after he fell, a dozen patches of shadow shot overhead. Nine of them shot further down the tunnel; the other four seemed to merge together. Then the shadowy 'figure' wrapped itself around the arms and torso of a nearby kraken- warrior; forcing the man to smack himself in the side on the head, repeatedly, with his own bludgeon. Three good _'whacks'_ , and the kraken- warrior dropped like a bag of rocks.

Moments later, shouts arose from further back in the kraken- ranks; a number of their comrades made the mistake of turning to look for the source of the commotion. Most realized their mistake a few seconds later; but by then, their enemies had closed the gap. Step by step, the kraken- warriors were being forced back; helped, every now and then, by the various disruptions caused by the Night- Fury Ancestors.

A short time later, Bergan saw a kraken- soldier 'stab' one of the Ancestors with his sword. The shadow- dragon 'wailed', feigning pain, then dissolved into shadow. An instant later, two more patches of shadow joined together: winding around the man's neck, and then pulling tight … when they released him, the man collapsed, lifeless.  
' _Good thing they know we're not the enemy_ …' Bergan thought; then a sudden pain in his leg made him cry out. Looking down, he saw that a kraken- warrior; downed, but not dead; had plunged a dagger into his calf. He brought his sword down, and finished what someone else had started.

' _TIME FOR YOU TO GO_ ,' a disembodied voice whispered. Bergan started; then spotted the shapeless, shadowy form of a Night- Fury Ancestor hovering above him. ' _I'LL COVER YOU_.'  
Bergan nodded, and the two of them set off, back the way they'd come.

They found Hiccup in the cave, standing near the lifeless bodies of the Iron- Sentinels. The Ancestor who'd accompanied Bergan melded back into the dragon- scale armor, and several others rose out of it: streaming down the tunnel, to join the battle.  
Bergan summarized what had happened, since he'd last been in the room. Hiccup nodded; then, gesturing to the two bodies on the floor, asked a question. – Bergan nodded.

 _Twenty minutes later; the medical- ships_ ,

When the Night- Fury landed, on the foredeck of the rightmost medical- ship, Bella and Brianna hurried forward. The former called, " _Bergan; are you alright? What happened_?"

"I'm fine…" Bergan reassured them, he gestured to his leg. "Idiot- kraken stabbed me in the leg; it's not bad, but I didn't want to take chances." He grinned, "Also: Valdir and Fenrir are dead; Hiccup killed them... I wanted to be the one to tell you." The sack he produced might have held two large cabbages; "These are…" he hesitated, "it's them: their heads."  
Gasps rose, from the listeners, followed by murmurs of awe and relief. Then the news being repeated to those further away, and spreading to the other boat.

"Valdir and Fen– … The Sentinels are…" Brianna's voice was soft; her eyes wide, and looked to be 'a little' wet.

Bella's initial reaction was similar to her daughter's; she took a deep breath, and then exhaled. "Lets have a look at your leg, first; then you can tell us what happened."  
She led Bergan over to a nearby crate, and Brianna hurried off to fetch bandages. As they worked, a crowd gathered around: Bergan began to relay his account of the battle.

 _Astrid and Heather_ ,

Their first lap of the south side of the island was without incident; they saw the base-camp established by the first- wave almost immediately, and even a few of the teams guarding their tunnel- exit. A number of people spotted them, as they flew overhead, but no one flagged them down.

"So far; so good," Astrid commented. "The first wave's in place, the second wave's in the tunnels; it shouldn't be long now-w-w– _Wait_ …" her eyes widened. "Look, down there!"  
Heather, Windshear, and Stormfly turned: A lone figure had bolted into view, emerging from the entrance to a tunnel. In his haste, he tripped and went down; two more emerged just in time to trip over the first.  
Even as they fell, figures were emerging from behind the trees and bushes they'd been using for cover. The 'lords' were surrounded before they could regain their feet.

"The first guy out was Emric," Astrid lowered her spyglass; she turned to Heather and Windshear, grinning widely. "The other two have robes like his, so I'm thinking..."

Heather grinned, "Seven down; six to go."

' _ **Ten**_ **down;** _ **three**_ **to go!'** Windshear amended, gesturing to one side with her head. Sure enough: Three men had emerged from the next tunnel over, run a few feet, then stopped to catch their breath. By the time they looked up, they were surrounded.

Astrid lifted her spyglass to her eye; and whooped, "Not sure about the other two, but the guy in the middle…" she turned to Heather and Windshear. "I'm _almost- sure_ it's _Malchior_!"

Heather's eyes widened, " _High- lord_ Malchior?"

"That's the one," Astrid confirmed. "The last tunnel must be somewhere over–" The Skrill rose into view, up from where she was pointing; followed by a chorus of distant laughter, and some 'garbled' shouting. When he spotted Malchior and his 'colleagues', the Skrill's eyes lit up: he dove towards them.

Heather shook her head; grinning, "Guess that takes care of that … I wonder if the Skrill 'does birthday parties'?"

"L-Lets n-not g-give anyone ideas…" Astrid suggested, laughing a little as she spoke. "Better if we stick to Snotlout and mutual- enemies."

Heather considered this for a moment; then nodded, "Yeah… I guess you're right."

"Come on; lets land at the camp," Astrid patted Stormfly's neck. "You and Windshear deserve a break; it'll be safe there, and we can have a look at these 'lords'."

They landed in the middle of the first- waves' main camp, as word of the kraken- lords' capture was being circulated. The atmosphere, needless to say, was euphoric.  
The 'lords' arrived a few minutes later; the moment they saw her, their eyes widened. Astrid immediately knew that they recognized her – somehow, and repressed a shudder. "Not the kind of 'first meeting' you were expecting?" she asked, coldly.

"Vlore-rha-haze nah-gra-treadle!" the man Donovan introduced as 'Ralden' exclaimed, when his gag was removed.

Astrid's lip twitched, "I'm sorry… what was that? I don't speak gibberish." Several people chuckled, and she stood a little taller. "Almost done, now; just one thing left to do! We'll go with the escort, fill the others in… Take down a few warriors for us, K?"  
There was a roar of approval from the crowd, which dissolved into a flurry of activity. Save for a core of several dozen guards, who marched the newly- captured kraken- lords off.

 _A few hours later; aboard the medical- ships_ ,

"Ships!" someone called. "There're ships coming around the island!" The call immediately drew a crowd to the prow of the two medical- ships.  
Sure enough, there they were: half a dozen ships, circling around the far side of the island.

Valka brought another of Hiccup's spyglasses to her eye. "Southern- crests!" she called, to reassure the crowd. "They have southern- crests on their sails!" She continued to scan the ships; her smile widened, "It worked… they have the kraken- lords on board! Atta boy, Hiccup; that's my boy!"  
It took a moment for her words to register; then the cheering broke out.

When the boats had covered about a third of the distance to them, two familiar dragons rose into the sky, and shot towards them. A few minutes later, Stormfly and Windshear came in for a landing, and their riders dropped to the deck.  
Taking turns, she and Heather filled them in on the latest developments; then Bergan told them what he knew of the fight, inside the caves. He finished saying, "I can't see it taking much longer; not with the kraken- lords captured…"

 _Back in the caves_ ,

The kraken- warriors had been losing ground steadily, since the two lines first met. Those fighting had lost all track of time: all that existed was their weapon, their shield, their allies and their foes.  
Then a roar sounded from somewhere, and the sound of fresh fighting broke out – on the far side of the enemy lines! The warriors who'd circled around the island were now pouring into the tunnels, form that side. It could only mean one thing: the 'lords', had been taken.

A roar of triumph rose from the attackers, and they pressed forward with renewed vigour. Not that there was much opposition: the dragons had long since joined the front lines, securing the middle of every cavern they entered … forcing the kraken- warriors to cluster together along the walls, with barely enough room to swing their weapons.  
Then it was over. Somehow, incredibly, it was over: there were no more enemies.

 _That evening_ ,

By the time the sun touched the horizon, they were well on their way. Each of the nine kraken- lords had been locked in the brig of a different ship; one belonging to the chieftain of one of the tribes they'd subjugated, though not the same one they themselves sailed on. Once again, they were heading north; to Berk, to hear the 'long story' that would surely be one of the greatest legends of their age.

 _ **To Be Continued**_ **…**


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty – Life Goes On**

 **Part One – Riders, and Dragons, of Berk**

 _The following morning; the Great Hall of Berk_ ,

Breakfast had finished an hour earlier, but the hall was packed: with southern- chieftains, northern- chiefs, their advisors, and families. Most of the Vikings of Berk, who of course already knew the story, had returned to their daily activities and duties.  
Most of the southern warriors were either waiting on their boats, or talking with Vikings from the village. The latter group would here parts of the story from those they talked to, and could hear the rest from those now present, in Berks' Great Hall.

Hiccup, Astrid, Valka, Fishlegs, and Heather sat at the head of the hall; their dragons curled up, nearby. They would join in the telling; when Hiccup needed a break, or when they had something to add to the story.  
Hiccup began by reiterating his account from a few days earlier: the attack on the Ancestral Home of the Night- Furies, six centuries earlier, the tragic results, and events that followed.

"Gods have mercy…" Chief Gregor exclaimed. "So these … 'Hunters' attacked; with no provocation; killed, or caused the deaths of, six Night- Furies; and ran off…" He grunted, "Not that it fixes anything, but at least they got what was coming to them."  
Several others voiced similar comments, a current of mutters moved through the hall; then the massive room fell silent.

"They did," Hiccup agreed. "But, unfortunately, the story gets worse before it gets better…" He sighed, and continued. "In the years that followed; word of the agreement, between the Night- Furies and the Asgardians; spread, among the dragons. When humans, our ancestors, began to arrive in the region, a large number of wild- dragons chose to uphold their pact: abandoning their homes, on islands we've since settled, retreating further north. … Most of them sought shelter in what _was once_ a safe sanctuary: an island, located within the formation that would later become known, to us, as 'Hellheims Gate'."

"But… wasn't that… the Red- Death!" Tyrone eyes widened. "Wasn't that where she…?"

"Yes: their attempts to _avoid conflict_ put them at the mercy of the Red- Death; a massive, cannibalistic dragon with a virtually insatiable appetite…" Hiccup confirmed, sadly. "Her ultimatum; ' _bring_ her food, or _be_ her food'; was what triggered the night- raids. We lost hundreds during the wars; they lost thousands … some dragon- species went extinct."  
Several minutes passed in silence, as the listeners processed this. Most of them were wide-eyed: some seemed to be trying to speak, but were unable to find words.

"Like the Buffalords," Lara said, in a choked voice. "They were hunted to extinction over a century ago…" she turned to Hiccup, "Right?"

"They were hunted _to the verge of_ extinction," Hiccup admitted. "A few remain, however; thank the gods…" A shudder passed through Astrid; Hiccup put an arm around her. "The loss of the Buffalords would've been a _double- tragedy_ : their saliva, mixed with the juices from the herbs they eat, forms the only known cure for The Scourge of Odin plague."

For three full minutes, the Great Hall was as silent as a tomb; finally, Chief Thommen found his voice. "How… How do you know this?"

"A few years ago, when we were at our outpost, in the far- reaches…" Hiccup said, after a long pause, "Astrid and Stormfly encountered a fishing- boat, while on patrol; found the crew below deck, dead, save for one … he scratched Astrid on the arm, before they could get away. Early the following morning, she … began to show symptoms."

"So you went looking for the cure," Leanne concluded. "And found it; a Buffalord."

Hiccup nodded, "A few minutes before Viggo and his Hunters arrived; he made a few … _chilling_ revelations." He clenched and unclenched his free hand, several times. "But we're getting ahead of ourselves … or would you rather I start with this?" He looked around.

A long moment passed in silence; which told Hiccup his earlier 'Viggo reference' had been circulated. Finally: Chief Tyrek said, "Why don't you explain these 'chilling revelations'; then pick up where you left off? We'll hear the rest, in full, when we get there." – There was a general murmur of agreement.

Hiccup nodded; "Once his Hunters were in position, and he saw Astrid, Viggo told me I ' _should've left well-enough alone: his fishing- boat was no place for me, or any of my riders_ '."  
He paused, giving the listeners a chance to put the pieces together.

Several people stiffened; Chief Thommen's eyes narrowed, " _His fishing boat_?"

"Viggo often referred to himself as a 'savvy businessman'," Hiccup elaborated. "Told us he was 'keenly aware' of the Buffalords' unique quality; and went on to say, quote, ' _it's quite simple, really: supply and demand. He knew where to procure a supply, if he could only generate a demand_ '." Hiccup took a deep, calming, breath.

" _You don't actually mean_ …" Sabrina was wide-eyed, and white-faced: as was most everyone else in the hall.

"Viggo planned to release The Scourge into populated areas, so he could make a fortune, _selling_ the cure." Hiccup confirmed. "We detoured to the boat, on our way back to The Edge, though none of us landed: Astrid gave the crewmen the last- rites, then… we burned it."  
A slightly longer pause, a silent tribute to Viggo's victims, followed Hiccup's words.  
"We've faced several enemies; over the past five years," Hiccup continued. "First was Alvin and The Outcasts; next the self- styled 'Dagur the Deranged', Chief of the Berserkers' Tribe: he eventually … 'displaced' Alvin, recruiting The Outcasts into the ranks of The Berserkers. When we defeated _them_ ; Dagur and most of his warriors, were imprisoned on Outcast Island." Hiccup looked around, "Is … everyone following this, so far?"  
No one spoke up; so Hiccup continued, "We had a few years 'off', so to speak; then Dagur escaped, and joined forces with The Hunters; eventually that came apart, and it was us against The Hunters. The 'Dagur- situation' became … 'complicated', and not in the way you'd think. Next was Drago, and now the kraken- lords." He gave a small smile; "That's a _basic summary_ of the past five years… Think of the rest as a big collection of short- stories, that fill in the pieces."

Another minute passed in silence; then Bergan whistled, "Ok: _that's_ a _long story_ …"

Chief Tyrek frowned; "How, exactly, did the 'Dagur- situation' get 'complicated'?"

Hiccup turned to Heather, she nodded; he turned back to his fellow northern- chiefs. "Have any of you ever wondered why Dagur's father, Oswald the Agreeable, broke from the … 'traditional' Berserker- way; why he started signing peace treaties, ending wars?"

Most of the northerners in the hall blinked, exchanging surprised glances. Then Chief Ephraim spoke up, "Now that you mention it, yes… Didn't think much of it at first; figured it was a trick to make us drop our guard; but he upheld his end, until Dagur did for him." He shook his head, "Hard to believe a son would kill his own father, but…"

"He _didn't_ kill his father; according to him, Oswald the Agreeable vanished. Dagur claimed he let the story stand, and spread, to serve as proof that he was ' _tough enough_ ' to be Chief of The Berserkers' Tribe." Another long silence followed Hiccup's revelation.

"Two questions…" Chief Grayclaw said, breaking the silence. "First: Why would Dagur tell you this; and second: how do you know he was telling the truth?"

"Dagur didn't tell _me_ ," Hiccup admitted. "He has a sister, who he set adrift when she was only a few years old; she was taken in, raised, by members of another tribe. But this is her story; I should let her tell it…" He turned, "Heather?"

A chorus of gasps rose from around the hall, as Heather stood; her head held high, "I don't remember much about my…" her voice caught; Astrid gave her arm a reassuring squeeze, "my father; just a few faint memories; but the first time I met Dagur was when he attacked my foster- tribe. After that, I drifted from place to place; ended up in the far- reaches, that's where I met Windshear. She was wounded, pretty badly; but I'd been to Berk, knew dragons weren't monsters, so… I helped nurse her back to health, befriended her. Then we … started looking for the Berserkers, for Dagur: to avenge my foster- parents, and tribe. I didn't know he was my brother, yet; was about to finish him off when Hiccup and Toothless got there, explained what … what my horn meant." She hesitated, glanced at Hiccup. "Once I knew… I had a lot to think about, so I went off on my own again; before I left, Hiccup told me about a conversation our fathers had, just after they'd signed the first peace- treaty between our tribes…" She took another deep breath, and continued. "My father signed those treaties because he wanted to stabilize the region, make it safer … for… for me to grow up in."  
Another pause, and a deep breathe. "Hiccup also told me that, when I was ready to continue that legacy, I had a place waiting for me … on their team."  
"A few days later, by chance, I found out that Dagur had joined forces with The Hunters … I thought I could help Hiccup, and the rest of our team, by getting close to Dagur; I did the 'family sticks together' thing; went 'undercover', tried to get information on The Hunters."

"Without telling your team?" Chief Tyrek asked, though not unkindly.

Heather dropped her gaze; "I've made some mistakes, bad choices … I told Astrid, the first chance I got, but made her promise not to tell the others; I didn't think they, _Hiccup_ , would let me take the risk." She glanced around the hall. "There were Hunters nearby; so, on top of not being able to talk openly; Astrid and I had to fight _one another_ , or we'd blow my cover."

"By the time I found out; they'd had been undercover too long," Hiccup explained. "Any changes in the way either of them acted would've attracted attention … I was essentially locked- out."

Chief Thommen raised an eyebrow, "What _would you have done_ , if you had the chance?"  
Murmurs of interest filled the hall, and then faded to silence; a number of people leaned forward, on their benches.

"Weren't we going to pick up where we left off, before?" A few people looked disappointed; Hiccup grinned, "I'm just trying to keep events in-order; if we start jumping around, it'll get confusing very quickly. But, since we're on the topic…" The sense of anticipation rekindled. "I _would've_ asked Heather to suggest, to The Hunters, that she and Windshear lead _decoy- hunts_ , close to our base: traps for us; opening an opportunity for her to ask after _real hunts_ : locations, headings, _to avoid_. She sends _that information_ on to us; we move-in, while she and Windshear were _miles away_ : doing _what_ they were told, _where_ they were told … so they couldn't be blamed for The Hunters' losses: _someone else_ must've told us where to strike."  
He paused, for a ten count; to let the listeners processed what he'd said so far. A few people muttered comments to those nearby them; everyone looked impressed.  
"When, at last, Heather _met Viggo_ , he asked for a private word: told her he suspected there was a traitor in his organization, and asked for her help in exposing the spy…"

"To make me _think_ I'd fooled him," Heather sighed. "He already knew I was the informer; wanted me to–"

Hiccup cleared his throat; he grinned, eyebrow raised. "Spoiler alert, Heather."

"Right, sorry…" Heather nodded, grinning, a little sheepishly.

"No worries," Hiccup shrugged, and turned to the crowd. "Viggo's request would've tripped one of my … ' _safeguards_ ': giving Heather an opportunity to divert suspicion onto a much larger group." He smiled, " _The Berserkers_ , and former- _Outcasts_ … if Heather suggested _one of them_ may've cut a deal with us; information in exchange for leniency, when Viggo fell..."

"Heather would've become his only insider in the Berserker- camp; his only chance to find ' _the real_ ' spy … and he would've _had to trust her_ to do it!" Tyrone shook his head.  
A full minute passed in silence; then he raised an eyebrow, "So… about those Outcasts?"

Somehow, all of this had taken only taken an hour and a half; they had as much time again until noon. Which was when they'd planned to stop for lunch, and to stretch their legs.  
Hiccup gave a general summary of Berks' first weeks with dragons, and described some of the ways in which dragons contributed to everyday life. – This was, of course, of great interest to everyone in the hall. (Waves of Deadly- Nadders using their spiked tails to plow fields; Monstrous- Nightmares scaring fish into nets… the list seemed endless.)  
Astrid described several of their skirmishes against The Outcasts, with contributions from Hiccup and Fishlegs. Heather told the story of her first visit to Berk, which was also Hiccup's first direct encounter against Alvin; the account of Hiccup's first 'name game', targeting Alvin the Treacherous, drew howls of laughter from the listeners.  
Finally, around midafternoon, Hiccup considered the crowd; "How about we clue up here, for today? I think that's enough to process for one day; the real _eye- opener_ can wait till tomorrow."

Alana raised an eyebrow, "The ' _real eye- opener_ '? You're kidding, right?"

Hiccup grinned, "You'll see…"

 _The following morning_ ,

From the moment the first of Berks' guests arrived in the hall, to the moment the last person sat down, low murmurs filled the hall. They'd all seen it, on the table in front of Hiccup: A cylindrical, ornately decorated object; his hand never more than a few inches away from it, at any one time.

"That's it, isn't it; the Dragon- Eye?" Alana asked, from where she and her parents sat, on one of the nearest benches to the front. Her lip twitched, "The ' _real eye- opener_ '?"

Hiccup nodded, holding it up for all to see. "It is … the most comprehensive source of dragon- knowledge we know of; knowledge that can only be accessed, with the help of a dragon." He set the device up, on its stand, and moved aside to make room for Toothless; the black- dragon breathed a low flame into the narrow end of the device; the sides glowed, then a beam of light shot out the wide end: projecting a map onto the sidewall of the hall. "Berk is down here," Hiccup said, moving forward to point out the island on the map. "The rest … is the far- reaches."

"You said you have an outpost out there?" Thalia asked; she sounding a little dazed, her eyes fixed on the map.

"Yes; it's right over…" Hiccup traced a finger along the map, and then settled on another island. "Here; The Dragon's Edge. We stopped at a number of these islands," he gestured to several islands. "It doesn't show here, but The Hunter's main base was here…" Hiccup pointed to what appeared to be a section of empty water. "And this, is only the beginning…" He turned a dial, on the side of the Dragon- Eye; the image changed to that of a dragon, surrounded by notes describing the dragons' various qualities. Hiccup turned the dial again, and again, and again; and, with every rotation, the image of a new dragon replaced the one before. Some the listeners recognized, others were new to all of them.  
After about five minutes, Toothless extinguished his fire: allowing the projection to fade from the wall. Hiccup turned to face the crowd, "The projections from the Dragon- Eye vary, based on the class of dragon breathing into it: A Deadly- Nadder would unlock information on dragons from the Sharp- Class; A Gronkle, the Boulder- Class … and so on."  
He shook his head; "If I talked you through everything we've learned from it, without stopping for anything; we'd still be here a week from now, and we still wouldn't be done. Part way through our fight with Viggo; the one time he caught us by surprise, he managed to steal it…" A chorus of gasps rippled across the room; Hiccup nodded, "The information is so complete, protecting it has become an extremely high priority; when not use, its kept locked away… I, alone, hold the key to its new home: I'm willing to share the knowledge it contains, but it will never again leave my sight."  
The listeners exhaled, in near-perfect unison; the knowledge that Hiccup was the only one with direct access to the Dragon- Eye was … something of a relief, to all present.  
Hiccup's expression relaxed; he smiled, "But enough of that… Viggo's been dead for months, and this is _one heck of a story_ …"

Hiccup began by describing Trader Johann's arrival on Berk, with the news that Dagur the Deranged had escaped from Outcast Island. Then the journey to the graveyard of ships, where Johann had once kept 'his treasures and wares'; adding a brief reference to the Snow- Wraith tooth, the key for the Dragon- Eye, he'd acquired earlier the same day.  
Fishlegs took up the tale, then: describing the islands they'd visited, in their hunt for a place to establish their outpost – and placing careful emphasis on the importance of staying clear of Melody Island, and its two resident Deathsong- dragons.  
Astrid talked about The Dragons Edge: The base, how they'd gone about building it; and, in due course; how they'd come to meet Skullcrusher.

When finished explaining how Skullcrusher had attacked their outpost, to make them leave before they were wiped out by a two- hundred foot tall rogue- wave; Chief Ephraim exclaimed, "So you're saying he attacked your outpost to protect you?"

"There are _all kinds of reasons_ why a dragon might attack," Hiccup replied. "They might be defending their nest, or an injured friend; they may've had a bad- experience with humans, The Hunters once attacked a colony of dragons so make them lash out at Trader Johann – the next human they saw: so he'd call us for help, lure us away from our base. And, yes: _most dragons_ do have a strong instinct to protect… before they started to learn our language, their only option was 'keep attacking them till they leave the danger- area'."  
This resulted in several minutes of conversation; as the northern- chieftains, their families, and advisors discussed what this might've meant, in their individual cases. More than one face showed unmistakable sadness, and remorse.

Finally: Leah shook her head, "Why would dragons want anything to do with humans, after everything that's happened?"

' **If everyone held a grudge every time they were wronged, the world would be a dark place.'** Toothless replied, turned to look at her. **'Not all humans are the same, just as not all dragons are the same… I believed I was the last of my kind, when Hiccup and I first met; I knew loneliness, of a sort no words can describe; yet on Berk, among humans, I found a home and friends.'** He paused, to gather his thoughts. **'And that is only part of it: these new lives are more … meaningful, vibrant, than those we lived before, on our own. While the past must not be forgotten, it is beyond our ability to change; the present is, and the future, like the sky, is waiting.'** The Night- Fury gazed around the hall. **'There's still more to this … '** _ **tale**_ **,'** he chuckled, flicked his tail, and more dragons chuckled. **'…Than you have heard; listen to the rest, and soon, perhaps some others here may be ready … to see the world, as we do: from above.'**

"As you can see; dragons also have a sense of humor." Hiccup pointed out, grinning, his eyes flicking to the foot of the hall. "It's _usually_ harmless..."

"Dahl-flop youg-hanny phi-knick!" said a voice at the far end of the hall.

"He said ' _that's easy for you to say_!" Tuff called, as he and Ruffnut followed Snotlout into the Great- Hall.

" _Unless_ you get in the habit of picking fights with … a Skrill, for instance," Hiccup added. "I wouldn't advise doing that – for reasons _'someone' continues to insist on demonstrating_ … Really, Snotlout: you've got to get past this whole 'revenge on the Skrill' thing."  
His cousin scowled, crossing his arms, but saying nothing, while everyone else struggled to hold back his or her laughter. With a much dignity as one could manage, while muttering "grundle-sere grill", Snotlout turned and stalked out of the hall.

They concluded, for the day, at about the same time as the previous afternoon; finishing with Hiccup's describing Viggo's 'truce offer', and Astrid explaining how it led to their forming an alliance with The Defenders of The Wing.  
They would finish story the following morning; and, _maybe_ , introduce them to some dragons that afternoon. (Hiccup _exact words_ were: "We'll see how things go.")

 **Part Two – Into The Skies**

 _The following morning_ ,

 **Part Three – Fond Farewells (** **?** **)**

 _Ten days later_ ,

 **AN** **: Sorry about the (new) cliffhanger. I'd like to get some feedback on this before I add the rest. (I'm thinking of pairing some of the Southerners to dragons: open to suggestions on who, and to what kind of dragon.) Thanks for reading, and commenting!**


End file.
